Con-tractions
by Selah25
Summary: Season 3 follows Elle's fight for her life and the unborn she carries.


_Title: Con-_tractions_  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: __**We pick up right after Season 2 ends. Elle, Sawyer, Jack, and Kate are captured and held by the Others**__. _

_Warnings: __**For those not caught up to Season 3, I warn you that some of this will be spoilery for you. Violence, Angst, Profanity**_

_Status of Fic: Complete  
Author's Notes/Disclaimer:_ _**This is my third Fan Fic. Please read You Can't Con a Con and To Con-sole and Con-cede to affiliate yourself with my character Elle as she plays a vital role in the lives of the other survivors.**__ I do not own the characters in this story, nor do I own any rights to the television show "Lost." JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof created them and they belong to them, Touchstone, and ABC. _

Chapter 1

Her body was heavy, her head groggy, as if she was drugged. The cool tiles of the locker room were the first thing she recognized as she came to. Disoriented, the last thing she remembered was watching Hurley walk away from them down the pier as a hemp bag was placed over her head. Elle heard slight moaning to her left and as she rubbed her eyes, she saw Kate propped up against the lockers. Ripping off a band-aid from her arm, Elle wondered aloud.

"What the hell did they do to us?"

Kate too ripped off a similar band-aid and looked around their surroundings.

"I have no idea," she rubbed her head, "but I haven't had a headache like this in years."

Elle managed to stand up, her legs felt like rubber, but they soon felt strong enough for her to walk around the locker room. It was reminiscent of a gymnasium's locker room, rows of prison white lockers, shower stalls, and toilets filled the room. Questioning whether they were near their camp, they were interrupted by a familiar man.

"You were on the pier," Elle motioned to him as she patted her face.

"Guy with the fake beard."

Finding her amusing, he reintroduced himself as Tom, and apologized for the inconvenience. He told them that they had to drug them for their trip. Informing them that they would experience some headaches and fatigue, he suggested they wash up and cleanse themselves of the horrible day they had gone through. He pointed to a bench with towels, shampoo and soap, and stood there waiting.

"I'm not going to shower in front of you." Kate was trying to be tough, even though she was unsure of what was going on.

"Honey," Tom chuckled, "you ain't my type."

"I'll leave you two to get freshened up," he smiled, his cheeks puffing out like St. Nick.

They watched him leave. Elle was about to tell Kate that they should scope out the interior of the building, but again they were interrupted. Tom poked his head back into the locker room and held up a disapproving finger.

"Wouldn't be thinking about making a getaway," he shook his finger.

"You both have appointments to get to."

With that, he left. Wondering what they had gotten themselves into, Elle and Kate approached the shower stalls. They were hesitant, but they each slowly took adjacent shower stalls and pulled the plastic shower curtains across the cool steel rod. Stripping down, they tossed their dirty clothes into two separate piles on the floor. Noticing that she had another band-aid on her abdomen, Elle let out a worried sigh.

"Kate," she murmured, "did you find another band-aid on yourself?"

"Not that I can see," Kate was worried, "why?"

"There's a small needle prick in my stomach."

Elle remembered Claire's "nightmares" about being injected by a stranger, Ethan, and that proved all too real. It hadn't ended well either. Banging her fist into the tiled wall, Elle rested her head against the cool tiles. Turning on the faucet, she let the hot water wash over her body as she hid her sobs by pounding on the stall. The steam was clouding her in a warm fog and she was finding it hard to breathe. Turning down the water, Elle knelt into a ball, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs, close to her chest. She rocked herself as she heard Kate's voice.

"We'll get to the bottom of it, Elle," Kate urged her, "we just have to remain strong."

Standing up, Elle knew Kate was right, and she hated herself for being weakened at that moment. Toweling themselves dry, they realized their clothes were no longer there. Walking towards the lockers, they found two with pieces of masking tape on the front. The words, _wear these_ were written with marker, and when they opened the lockers, there were outfits for them both. Kate pulled out a flowery dress along with a pair of sandals as Elle pulled out a similar dress sans flowers. Slipping into the sandals, Elle couldn't help but laugh.

"I never would have guessed you for the dress type," she pointed to Kate.

"You should take a look at yourself," she laughed.

Lightheartedness aside, Elle and Kate took seats on the bench.

"What do you think he meant by appointments?" Elle inquired.

"I haven't got a clue." Kate took a minute and then turned to face Elle.

"Are you really pregnant?"

"Jack thinks so," Elle shrugged, "but I have a feeling, well…" she bit her lip, "I can't explain it."

"That's called instinct, Elle," she smiled a small smile, "motherly instinct."

Tom entered, along with two other men. Standing in front of them, he instructed Kate that they were going to take her to see Ben.

"She isn't going anywhere," Elle stood along side Kate, "we go together, or not at all."

"Calm your horses, Elle," Tom chuckled, "you're going to see Juliet."

"When you're both done, you'll see one another real soon."

Kate and Elle exchanged reassuring glances before they were both led out of the locker room. Elle watched as Kate was taken outside, down a beaten path. When Kate was out of sight, Elle turned to face Tom.

"So…" she cocked her head to the side, "are we doing this or what?"

Chapter 2

Elle was escorted, handcuffed, _for her own safety_, so she was told. She laughed when Tom mentioned that. _More like, for your own safety, _she coolly smiled to herself. Didn't they realize that she wasn't as demure and incapacitated as they perceived her as? Elle had dealt with worse people than these _Others_ but not a day went by that she couldn't understand how immoral and premeditated their actions were. Elle and her friends were never a threat to them, however, they were treated like invaders, unwelcome guests, toys to be played with at will. Of course, they retaliated, when their lives and the lives of their friends were threatened. _What did they expect us to do_, Elle pondered, _stand by and watch our people die?_

Elle hadn't realized how far they had walked when she was brought to a station similar to the hatch. _I should have been scoping out the perimeters, _she scolded herself and made a mental note to do that on her walk back. Little did she know, Tom wasn't planning to take her back the same way. Tom pushed open the steel doors to the station and they walked down an eerily dark and damp hallway. Elle could have sworn she heard the sound of water, as if she was encased in an underwater exhibit, half expecting sharks, and sea life to swim by. Shaking off her inane thoughts, she commented on the lighting of the fixtures. They were erratically blinking as if they had been out of commission for years.

"Did you forget to pay the electric bill?" she jested.

Tom just gave her a curt smile and pointed to a door.

"Juliet's expecting you."

Tom left her standing in front of a metal door; a small rectangular window was mounted in the center. Elle peered in and jumped back. A woman, rather tall and athletic looking, her blonde waves pulled into a loose ponytail, stared back at her with cerulean eyes, through the window. Elle had a momentary flashback to her most recent nightmare after Jack suggested she may be pregnant. Juliet's eyes were eerily similar to the abstract faceless visions in her subconscious.

"I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized, "please, come in and have a seat."

Elle looked around at the room and realized she was in what looked like a medical examiner's room. There was a table, with metal stirrups, similar to a gynecologist's office, covered with a paper sheet in the center of the room. Shelves with tongue depressors, cotton balls, and hand sanitizer were off to her right. To her left, an ultrasound machine, stood, powered on and ready.

"I'm Juliet," she announced herself, "you don't have to be afraid."

"Oh, I'm not afraid," Elle crossed her arms, "believe me."

"There's no need to be defensive," she handed Elle a pair of scrubs, "please put these on."

"Are you the one who injected me?" Elle asked, bringing a hand to her stomach.

"Minor blood tests," Juliet gave her a reassuring smile, "I will uncuff you, so you can change."

"_Don't _try anything."

Elle allowed Juliet to uncuff her and she turned to change into the scrubs. She was wary of the woman but felt comforted by the fact that she wasn't as naïve as she presented herself to be. Elle could tell that Juliet was playing a role. If she's the good cop, Elle thought to herself, who's interrogating Kate? Shaking off her awful thoughts, Elle turned to face Juliet who had a tube of gel in her hand. Motioning for Elle to have a seat on the table, Juliet prepped her.

"Relax your legs," she told Elle, "and lift up your shirt."

"What are you going to do?"

"You've been under a lot of stress," Juliet pointed out, "don't you want to make sure your baby is healthy?"

Alarmed at her statement, Elle pulled down her top and jumped off the table.

"How the hell did you know I was pregnant?"

"We know everything about you, Elizabeth." Juliet no longer smiled.

"With a prior miscarriage," she shook her head, reprimanding Elle, "you would think you'd want the best for you and your child."

Elle was taken aback. No one had called her Elizabeth in years. No one knew about her miscarriage except Sawyer and Jack. _Who the hell are these people_, she wondered to herself. Elle wasn't known for being hypocritical, but she was beginning to become fearful of Juliet and her situation. She took a step back towards the corner of the room. Trapped, Juliet walked menacingly over towards her and put a tight grasp on her wrist.

Ripping her wrist from Juliet's grasp, Elle cursed her.

"Get your goddamn hands off me!"

Juliet took a small step back and put up her hands, pleadingly, as if she were surrendering to Elle.

"I'm a fertility doctor, Elle," her mask was gone, a smile reappeared, "please, let me examine you."

Juliet guided Elle back to the table. Assisting her, Juliet squeezed a cool gel onto Elle's stomach and applied pressure to her abdomen with the apparatus from the sonogram machine. Watching the screen, Juliet told Elle that she would be able to see the baby's heartbeat.

"Those wavy lines at the bottom of the monitor," Elle could see waves forming and heard a rapid beat on the monitor, "there it is," pointed Juliet.

"Is it supposed to be that fast?" Elle looked worried.

"Perfectly normal," Juliet smiled, "in this stage."

Elle thought back to her first time watching the nurse examine her for her first sonogram. She patiently waited for the blurry bubble of a fetus to appear on the monitor. The baby's heartbeat was in harmony with her own after awhile and Elle gasped when she saw it. Juliet pointed her index finger to the middle of the screen, to what seemed to be a kidney shaped, mass.

"There, there," she looked to Elle, "there it is."

Elle was mesmerized. She thought back to her first weeks on the beach to a conversation she had with Sawyer. _Second chances_, she thought to herself. She inquired how far along she was.

"Roughly," Juliet calculated the time, "three weeks."

As Elle got off the table she pulled her hair back into a loose bun. She found herself grateful to Juliet, until she insisted she had to put the handcuffs back on.

"Where are my friends?"

"They are safe," Juliet smiled, "would you like to see them?"

Juliet guided Elle down the long, damp hallway to a room locked and out of sight. Twisting the lock, Juliet opened the thick, steel door and Elle found herself in an observatory. She walked up to the glass partition and couldn't believe her eyes. In the room directly across from her, sat Jack, on a metal slab of a table, his head in his hands.

"Can he see me?" she asked Juliet.

"Yes," she pressed a button on the wall, "and hear you as well."

"Jack!" Elle pounded the glass.

Raising his head, he looked from left to right, until he settled on the glass window. He looked so relieved, yet a bit stunned, that he took a few steps toward the glass and stopped. Elle pounded again and screamed his name. Realizing he wasn't hallucinating, Jack ran to the glass and pressed his palms against its cool surface.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yes," she swallowed down a lump in her throat, "yes…"

"Kate," he asked, "and Sawyer…have you seen them?"

"Kate's fine," she gave a disturbed look toward Juliet, "they took her to see Ben."

"I don't know where Sawyer is…" Elle was on the verge of tears.

"Jack…" she raised her eyes, "you were right…"

"Right?" he was confused, "right about what Elle?"

"I'm three weeks pregnant." Amidst all the drama, Jack managed a relieved smile.

Juliet interrupted their reunion. Pulling on Elle's arm, she gave Jack a pitiful smile.

"That's all for now, Jack."

With a switch of the intercom, Elle couldn't hear what he was saying, but as she read his lips, the pounding on the glass, echoed his sentiments.

"_Juliet_!"

"Juliet!"

"_Where are you taking her_?"

Chapter 3

"Think if you give us an inch," Elle gave Juliet a suspicious look, "we'll take the whole damn mile?"

"I told you that you'd get to see your friends," she placed a bag over Elle's head, "and that's exactly what I did."

"Now just keep walking," she grasped her elbow and led her down a path, "someone's expecting you."

"What?" Elle laughed, "Another appointment?"

Juliet was silent. Her grasp on Elle's elbow tightened and Elle could have sworn the hand felt differently. She could feel the gravel under her foot as she walked to her destination, quickly it changed to a softer, almost blade like grass, then once again she was walking amongst gravel. The hand on her elbow jerked her to a halt and she heard what sounded like a key being inserted into a metal lock. The bag was removed from her head and she was shoved into a cage, similar to the animal cages at a zoo. Juliet was no longer there; her assumptions were right about the change in grip. Tom stood there and instructed her to put her hands through the bars. Removing her handcuffs, he apologized for the abrasions and promised to bring her some antiseptic. Elle hadn't realized she had company in her cell. A rough, raspy voice, came up from behind her and insulted Tom.

"You'll be needin' the antiseptic after I get through with you, Zeke."

Pulling Elle close to his body, Sawyer took her hands into his own and ran his fingers along the abrasions on her wrists. Shaking his head, he tossed back hair that had fallen into his eyes and gave Tom a threatening look.

"What did you bastards do to her?"

Reaching for his face, Elle told Sawyer to leave Tom alone. Sawyer looked down on Elle as if she had slapped him in the face. Gritting his teeth, he questioned her objections.

"What the hell did they do to you?"

"The Elle I know wouldn't be stickin' up for them bastards."

"I'm fine, James," she whispered, "just let it go."

"Smart woman you have there James." With that, Tom walked over to another cage and handed Kate a pile of clothing. Asking her if she needed anything else, Kate declined. Facing Elle before he left, he told her he'd bring her something to change into.

"Something with a bit of give to it," he chuckled, holding his round stomach.

"Anything's better than this damn dress," she scoffed.

"Elle," Kate shouted across the dirt partition, "where'd they take you?"

"Kate!" Elle smiled broadly, "You're okay?"

Nodding yes, she squatted down near the bars, and together the three of them discussed their long day. Sawyer didn't have much to report. He had woken up already in the cage where he fiddled all day on a project. Telling them he had passed the test, Elle wrinkled her nose and asked him what the prize was. Tossing a rock at one of the circular buttons with a fork and knife on it, while he pressed down on a lever with his foot, the most annoying music came blaring through the speakers and from a spout poured water, through a vending slot, came these bright orange, fish-shaped biscuits.

"Dinner's on me, ladies!" Sawyer grin was wide and he had a gleam in his eye. Breaking a biscuit in half and tossing it to Kate, she took a bite and stuck out her tongue.

"Tastes like fish."

"Hey," Sawyer groaned, "this ain't the Ritz Carlton.'

"That's for damn sure," Elle chimed in.

"You never answered her question," Sawyer motioned to Kate, "where the hell did they take you when they split you two up?"

Elle looked from Sawyer then back to Kate. Unsure if she wanted to share with Kate her news, she sighed and gave in.

"They took me to see this woman," Elle bit her lip, thinking of her name, "Juliet."

"She's a fertility doctor," she shrugged, "so she said."

Sawyer's eyes rounded in anticipation. He stood up and began pacing back and forth.

"Did she say anything," he mumbled, "you know, about a baby?"

Laughing at his innocence, Elle told him that from what Juliet could distinguish, she was in fact, three weeks pregnant. The baby was healthy and so was she.

"And we're sure it's mine?" Sawyer had never sounded so serious.

Elle was flabbergasted, as Kate began laughing from the other cage.

"No offense Sawyer," Kate offered, "but she wasn't the one screwing around."

"Girl's got a good point, James."

"Aww, hell, darlin'," he pouted, "are you ever gonna let that go?"

Putting a hand on her stomach and another on Sawyer's cheek, Elle reached up and kissed him long and passionately. Sawyer kissed her back, drawing her body closer to his. Resting her head on his chest, Elle let out an exasperated sigh.

Kate cut short their intimate moment. She stood up, placed her hands onto the bars of her cage, and rattled them a bit. Kicking up some dirt, Kate let out a feigned cough to get their attention.

"What about Jack?"

"What about him, Freckles?" Sawyer was frustrated. "We don't even know if he's alive or even here with us."

"He is," Elle interjected, "Juliet took me to see him."

"He's fine, Kate," she tried to smile, "seems they have him locked up in some fish tank."

"How'd the Doc get fancier digs than us?" Sawyer chortled.

"Whatever the reason," Elle squared her footing and playfully pushed Sawyer, "I'm not the only one who met with Juliet."

Kate stood back, her eyes darkened. Elle quickly kicked herself for mentioning Juliet. Kate was worried about Jack, that was obvious, and Elle did what she could to soothe her worries. We can't just sit around here, waiting them out, she thought to herself. We have to find a way out. Elle walked around her cage, observing the narrow slits between the bars. She followed the cage door with her hands, stepping onto a ledge where the water supply was kept, and looked up to the top of her cage. The slits became larger as they turned upward, broad enough for someone to get through. Elle jumped down and hooked arms with Sawyer. What the hell is she up to, he thought to himself.

"Hey Kate," Elle looked to the top of Kate's cage and then met her gaze. Elle simply nodded to her and Kate returned it, a sly smile curling her lips.

"Care to fill me in," Sawyer mumbled, "or are no boys allowed?"

"When the time comes," Elle whispered into his ear, "we're getting the hell out of dodge, cowboy."

"Hell, Artemis," he whistled, "I knew I kept ya around for a reason!"

"Shush," she poked him, "they're watching us."

Pointing to the corner of their cage, as Sawyer squinted his eyes he could discern that there was a tiny camera hiding amongst the overgrown vines. A red light was blinking, indicating it was recording. Whether it was recording sound or not, whoever was watching, was bound to be able to read lips.

"Sneaky perverts," he sneered, then quickly gave her his biggest smile and raised his eyebrows twice.

"Wanna give them a show?"

Chapter 4

Sleeping in the dirt cages wasn't any worse than sleeping on the beach and for a brief moment Elle forgot she wasn't home on the beach. Waking up to the sound of Pickett beating a stick off the metal cage was enough to rattle Sawyer's nerves and he rose quick and grabbed the bars of the cage.

"A little early for makin' enemies, ain't it Hoss?"

Shoving metal lunchboxes their way, Pickett sneered.

"Time to earn your keep."

"What's this?" Elle asked, picking up the lunchbox.

"What's it look like, sugar?" he mocked her, "Been on the island too long, you forgot what lunch looked like?"

"Take it easy," Sawyer growled.

Opening the cage doors, he ordered them to get in line. Sawyer took a spot near Kate who was already waiting and was rounding his body to face Elle when he saw that look in her eye that spelt trouble. Pickett didn't have time to react. Elle slowly made her way out and wrapped her hand around the handle of the lunchbox. She swung the metal box towards Pickett's face and made contact with his nose.

"_Don't call me suga'_," she spat. Memories of Sully sent chills down her spine, causing her body to shudder.

Clutching his face in his hands, he mumbled an order to a colleague who was aiming a taser at Elle's torso.

"Shock'll harm the baby," he hissed.

Ambling to his feet, Pickett roughly grabbed the taser, aimed it at Sawyer, and sent electrical currents throughout his body. Sawyer hit the ground hard, his body convulsed. Elle ran over to Sawyer and cradled him. Kate knelt down and assisted Elle in pulling him back to a standing position. Wiping sweat from his brow, Sawyer called Pickett a son of a bitch, and spat on the ground. Pickett wiped his bloody nose on a rag and stared at Elle, his eyes dark and cold.

"Try that sh*t again," he hissed, "just once," he pointed at Sawyer, "and your boy here will get shocked."

Elle bit back her words and stood silent, for probably the first time in her life. She had handled abusive foster fathers, dealt with dangerous men before, but she never had someone to suffer the consequences of her actions. She now had Sawyer, Kate, and a baby to think about besides herself. Therefore, she stood helpless and followed their orders without fighting back.

As Kate and Elle swung pickaxes and chiseled away at rocks in a quarry, Sawyer hauled them to a pit. They did this for hours, roasting in the sweltering sun. Their instructions were simple. No conversing with one another, do their jobs, and nobody would get shocked. Worse, no one would be shot. Elle knew Pickett wouldn't think twice about shocking one of them again, but she found him to be weak, unable to wield a gun. Not unless he had something to fight for.

Elle was working diligently, casually sneaking glances around her surroundings, making eye contact with Kate, but hardly spoke a word. She noticed that once in awhile, Sawyer would stop what he was doing and watch her work. She could feel his eyes on her body, snaking their way up her legs, searing into the back of her head. She would turn her head ever so slightly, catching his gaze, wink at him, and turn back to her work. With every swing of the pickaxe, Elle felt her arms growing stronger, yet more tired as she swung. She was about to take another swing when she felt a pair of strong hands grab her waist and swing her around. Face to face with Sawyer, he gave her a salacious look and kissed her hard and passionately on the mouth. Cries ensued from the _Others_, including Pickett who came running over. Shouting for him to stop, Sawyer continued kissing Elle. Whatever he was planning, she was going to enjoy every minute of it. Elle kissed him back until she felt his teeth bang into hers, as his head was hit with the butt of a gun. Quick and agile, Sawyer grabbed a taser from one of the men, couldn't get it to work and as he brawled with a couple other men, he reached for a fallen gun, and aimed it at the men.

"Back off!" he ordered. He had fought off three of the men, hardly breaking a sweat, and he was in control. That was for a fleeting moment as he heard a woman's voice, stern, and cold, call his name.

"James!" Juliet had a gun pointed at Kate's head.

Kate looked at him, with her dark brooding eyes, and for just a moment, he saw fear in her eyes. As Juliet ordered him to drop his gun, he looked toward Elle. She slightly nodded her head, begging him with her eyes, to listen, for once in his life. Loosening his grip on the gun, he tossed it to the ground. As the gun hit the dirt, Sawyer felt the prongs of the taser enter his back, and for the second time that day, Sawyer hit the ground, shocked yet again.

As they were led back to their cages, Pickett shoved Sawyer roughly into the cage, where he hit the ground, coughing and writhing from the pain. Pickett didn't lay a hand on Elle as he watched her enter the cage after Sawyer. Kate too was brought back to her cage. She watched as they left them and when they were out of sight, she called over to Elle.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, Freckles," he groaned, "never been better."

Elle laughed. Tossing a pebble at him playfully, she asked him what the hell he was thinking. Sawyer made a flirtatious remark about how good she looked in that dress and how he couldn't help himself. Tossing another pebble, this time a bit harder, she asked him to be serious.

"Hell, they ain't got much fight in them." He winked and a sly smile spread across his dimpled face.

"Did you see the look on their faces when you had them cornered with their own gun?"

Elle laughed, shaking her head. _Damn fools_, she laughed again.

Kate groaned and found herself throwing a rock across and through the bars. It hit Sawyer square on the chest and as he winced.

"Damn Freckles," he wrinkled his nose, "what was that for?"

"You're crazy," she laughed, "both of you are mad."

"Been called worse," they said in unison.

"The only one who would'a done anything worth doin' was that blonde with the gun pointed at your head," Sawyer tossed a pebble at Kate, missing its mark, hitting the cage with a plunk.

"Juliet," Elle calmly spoke her name, "that was Juliet."

"The _baby_ doctor?" Kate was skeptical.

"Some doctor," Sawyer grumbled, "I thought they believed in no harm, no foul."

"Do no harm," Elle sighed, "they take an oath." She recalled her conversation with Jack. She wondered at that moment how he was.

"Yeah well," Sawyer pulled Elle in a bit closer, nuzzling her neck, "I doubt she'd have a problem breakin' that promise."

Agreeing with him, Elle wondered why Juliet held a gun to Kate's head and not to hers. Elle had more impact over Sawyer's decisions. _She wants me alive_. The thought hit Elle and it made her stomach turn. Thinking of the baby growing inside of her she automatically changed her mind. _She wants the both of us alive._ Bits and pieces were beginning to fall together, creating a horrifying puzzle, the masterpiece a mortifying rendition of a life being controlled by an _Other. _Sawyer could tell that something was wrong, Elle had been quiet for too long. Nudging her, he inquired about the silence.

"What's eatin' ya?"

"I need to get out of here." Elle was solemn. She stared out through the bars of their cage and never blinked.

"Sooner or later," he told her, not noticing the severity of her tone.

"No, Sawyer," her voice grew louder, stronger as she jumped to her feet, "I mean _now_!"

Chapter 5

Sawyer too jumped to his feet and grasped Elle's shoulders. Kate couldn't do much as she looked helplessly from her cage. Elle just stared into Sawyer's eyes and he saw all the fear and despair clouding them over like cataracts. Practically begging her to let him in on whatever the hell it was that had her so damn spooked, a solitary tear trickled down both of her cheeks. Elle couldn't find the words. As they were suffocating in her lungs, her throat swallowed down each utter less word. She thought back to the night she entered down the shaft of the hatch, how claustrophobic she had felt. Before she knew it, she was hyperventilating.

As Sawyer stroked her cheeks, he tried to soothe her nerves. He told her how he'd do anything for her, he'd breathe for her, if he could, but she had to try. Together they inhaled through their noses. He encouraged her to keep going, exhaling her shortened, erratic breaths through her mouth. Slowly, but surely, her breathing came to a steady rhythm. The only sound that could be heard was her heartbeat in her ears. It became louder and metallic sounding. The noise became louder, externalized, and she turned her head. Shaking off the image before her, she saw that Kate was climbing up and over her cage. Smacking Sawyer in the chest, she pointed towards Kate's cage.

"Goddamn it Freckles!" he yelled. "What the hell do you think you're doin?"

"You heard Elle," her words were breathy as she climbed down the metal bars, "we're getting the hell out of here."

Kate walked over to their cage and began banging on the lock with a large rock. Breaking it open, she swung open their door to the cage. Standing there, waiting for them to move, she began to get impatient. Urging them to run, Sawyer and Elle both stood there, like statues. Shaking his head, he told Kate the time wasn't right. She looked to Elle for support, but all she got was a solemn shake of her head.

"They'll shoot us down," he growled, "like strays."

That's what we are, Elle thought to herself. The three of us, strays, taken in by these monsters that will just kick us until we're down. Worse, she thought to herself, use us up until they get what they are after. Holding her stomach, she thought the worst. What if all of this, the kidnapping, the good vs. evil manipulations, and the cages, were elaborate ruses to get her child?

"I over reacted Kate," Elle spoke up. "Hormones are getting the best of me."

"It's this cage," she waved her hand, "I don't like being trapped."

Nodding that she understood the feeling, Kate reluctantly snapped back the lock on their cage door and shuffled back to her cage. Hoisting herself up and over the bars, she shimmied back into her own personal prison.

"Just say the word, Elle," Kate projected her way, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"I know you would," Elle smiled, "I know."

They rested that night, Kate the first one to fall asleep, her small snores rustled her awake every now and then, as she tossed and turned, a fitful night's rest. Elle rested on Sawyer's chest, his bronzed and bruised arms held her safe while she slept, never dreaming. Sawyer stayed awake, watching Elle sleep. It was in those moments, their intimate moments, that he would watch her and picture his life with her. He pictured a little girl, her auburn coifs bouncing off her shoulders, her tanned torso, exposed and innocent, running along the beach, skirting away from the water as it nipped her toes. Automatically his thoughts switched over to a little boy, blonde curls, his father's dimples, but his mother's wiliness, shooting pebbles with a makeshift slingshot, courtesy of Elle. He wondered what their child would look like. Would they have his eyes, better yet, he hoped they had Elle's dark, brownie colored eyes. Would they bite their lip as Elle did, or would they furrow their brow as he did when he got angry? Thousands of questions like those lolled across his mind, not one of them were a disappointment. When did he ever imagine himself a father?

"Never," he scoffed, his word dissipated into the night's air.

A memory crept its way into his head, causing his body to tense, reminding him of his earlier years. The first woman he ever loved, he conned. Rightfully so, she turned him in, and he chiseled away at the proverbial license plates as his time ticked slowly by. She visited him once. Sliding a picture of a little cherub's face across the visitor's table, he denied he ever had a child. _Clementine_, she told him, _her name's Clementine. _A damn citrus, he thought to himself. He told her to get out, that he_ ain't no one's father_, and shoved the picture back across the table. He never gave the idea a chance because when you go soft, you go weak. That's when things go screwy, he thought. Look at the predicament we're in now, he shook his head. He felt Elle stir in her sleep and he stroked her hair.

Elle rubbed her eyes and looked up at Sawyer.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Thinkin'…," he said, not offering her anything else.

Elle shifted her body and sat up. She placed her back against the cool slab of rock ledge and took Sawyer's hand into her own. Resting her head on his shoulder, she gave a small yawn.

"Thinkin' bout what, cowboy?"

"Clementine…," he whispered.

"Those little oranges?" Elle innocently asked.

"Naw," he chuckled, "wasn't thinkin' 'bout fruit."

"Then what's Clementine mean to you?"

Sawyer wrapped his arm around her shoulder and continued to stroke her hair.

"I think she's my daughter," he whispered.

Elle snapped her head up and asked him to repeat himself.

"She's my daughter."

"Back when I was conning," he began, "I fell in love with a mark."

Elle listened intently as Sawyer told her about Cassidy and how falling for her had caused him to go soft. Turned out, he had no choice but to continue with the con, but she got the best of him. He was turned into the police and spent time in jail. Sawyer told her how she had visited him once, showing her a picture of a little girl, claiming he was the father.

"I was in a bad place in my life," he admitted, "I was such a bitter bastard."

"That ain't how I pictured ma'self," he swallowed, "as a dad."

"How about now?" Elle timidly asked.

"Darlin'," he purred, "I'd make a handful more babies with you."

"Be serious, Sawyer," she shoved him.

"I _am_ serious," he turned to face her.

"I'd do anything for you Elle," he kissed her on the forehead, "for the both of you."

Sawyer then did the noblest thing she could have pictured him doing. He slid down, lifted her shirt a bit, and kissed her stomach. He rubbed his hand across it and noticed a slight bump had started to form. Her stomach had always been solid and flat. For some reason, knowing that right now, his child, _their _child, was growing inside of her, made him realize just how much he loved her. As she watched him caress her little belly, she ran her fingers through his hair. She never wanted him more in her life. Guiding him towards her face, she kissed him with all her soul. Ignoring the cameras and the fact that Kate wasn't sleeping as soundly as she could have been, Sawyer and Elle made love that night.

Chapter 6

The next morning came with an unexpected surprise. It started out with a rude awakening by Pickett, a bandage covering the bridge of his nose, his eyes swollen and blue. He startled them awake by dragging Sawyer and Elle to their feet. Elle fought him off, giving him a hard shove. Sawyer shielded Elle, and taunted him, his southern drawl thick and condescending.

"Sounding a bit stuffy," he sneered, "the lady give you a shiner too?" Grabbing Sawyer by the scruff of his neck, Pickett retorted, baring his teeth like a rabid dog.

"Just give me a reason boy."

"Thought I just did," his hair shagged in front of his cocky eyes, "what do I hafta do, talk about your mother?"

Pickett took one step forward and attempted to grab him by his shirt collar when a voice came over his walkie-talkie. Pickett's demeanor went from rabid to tense, spitting back into the walkie-talkie.

"What!" he gave Sawyer a look that could turn water to ice.

"Where is she?"

Coming around the corner on a stretcher was a woman in poor shape. A few Others, along with two familiar faces, the fertility doctor, Juliet and Tom, were carrying her. Pickett ran over to her, leaning over her body, concerned and angered. Turning to Juliet, he asked her if the woman was going to be all right. Juliet ignored his question and they all rushed towards the station.

Staring off from their cages, Elle sounded alarmed.

"What the hell happened?"

"_We_ happened," Sawyer smiled, like a kid in a candy store.

"That makes you happy?" Kate asked with disgust in her eyes.

"Hell, Freckles," he smiled, "they ain't ones to turn the guns on themselves."

Elle had seen that look on Sawyer's face before. The wheels were turning, the lines in his forehead were taut, his brows arched down. The alarm began to buzz, _Warning, Warning_, incessantly as water began to pour from the spout. Overflowing, the water began to form a puddle, slinking out towards freedom.

"While you're at it," Kate called over, "can you get another fish biscuit?"

"Hush up, Sassafras," he scowled, "it ain't about food."

"What are you doing?" Elle asked as she jumped onto the ledge, landing in a crouching position. After all, her toes were just inches away from the amoeba like puddle coming her way, no thanks to the ass that was wasting their water supply.

"Nice move, Artemis!"

Sawyer grabbed a long stick and stepped outside of the puddle. Fiddling once again with the mechanism on the cage feeder, he poked the large red button and both women looked on, anticipation glowed in their eyes. Turning his attention to the spectators, he let them in on his plan.

"Watch and learn, ladies!"

Sawyer pressed the big button twice with his stick. Alerting them to the fact that there was an electrical current running through the charges, he was going to electrocute the next person that came through his cage.

"One small step into this puddle and…," Sawyer's Cheshire cat like smile crept across his face, "I'll take a hold of one of them bastards!"

"Zapped to oblivion!"

Pumping his fist into the air, Elle jumped back down, grabbed him by the elbows, and swung him around.

"Are you insane?" she prodded him in the chest with a strong finger, "you'll both be electrocuted, you fool."

Sawyer staggered back a few steps, taken off guard by Elle's detestation. Kate actually liked the idea. She commented that he was a bit clever.

"Hell, Freckles," he snickered, "was that a compliment?"

"Elle," Kate addressed her, "it might just work!"

Elle had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Lately, she knew to take that as an ominous sign that trouble loomed ahead. _Talk about a gut feeling_, she winced. Her hand went automatically to her stomach, rubbing the bump. _It's as if I'm bloated_, she thought to herself, _yet it's never going to dissipate._

"What's wrong, Brownie Bits?" Sawyer placed a hand on her stomach.

"Is it," he furrowed his brows in concern, "the baby?"

"Just a feeling," she attempted to smile.

"I got a feelin' too," he winked back, "you in or what?"

"Couldn't leave the cage if I wanted to."

Watching her walk away from him, Sawyer couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Unlike his character, he felt a pang of guilt for not being able to protect her like he should. _Maybe they're sympathy pains,_ he thought to himself, _the guy gets those right? _Sawyer couldn't help but feel further away from Elle at that moment, even though they were cramped in a bear's cage. Elle sat down on the ledge and dangled her legs. Swinging them back and forth she gazed out of the narrow slits in the cage and tried her hardest not to think about what was coming their way. Sawyer made his way over to Elle and as he attempted to reach out to her, she pushed his hand away. Silent tears were streaming down her face, once again, her hormones getting the best of her. She turned down his concern with one bitter word.

"Don't."

Angered, he wanted to scream at her, shake her, to get some answer for why she was turning him away. Instead, he tucked a piece of his straw like hair behind his ear, hardened his heart, and with his voice, thick and salty, he turned his back on her.

"You got it, darlin'."

Elle crawled up into a ball and faced the cold concrete wall of the cage. If I just pretend it'll be okay, she thought to herself, then it will be. She was kidding herself. When did anything on this godforsaken island ever go as planned? When did things turn out in their favor? Look where they were, she shook her head, prisoners in a cage. She felt herself drifting asleep and the last thing she remembered was the sound of pebbles hitting the bars of the cage. Sawyer, sulking in his own corner, aimlessly chucked the small rocks, every now and then hitting the bars. Kate sat across from him in her cage and together they shared a silent reverie. Unable to do anything for them, Kate's concern ate away at her soul. Time had passed as they silently waited for Sawyer to execute his plan. Elle abruptly woke up to the sound of Sawyer's voice.

"It's show time."

Walking towards their cage, Elle noticed that it wasn't Pickett coming for them, but Ben, the man they had stowed away in their hatch. Sawyer ignored her presence as she made her way, begrudgingly towards him. Sawyer looked towards Kate, mouthed _The Big Kahuna_ to her, and turned to face their guest.

"Sending the big man himself to bring us our lunch?"

Ignoring his sarcasm, Ben didn't offer a witty comeback. He inched his way towards the cage and as Elle looked down, she noticed he was getting closer to the puddle. Anticipation was high as she could sense Sawyer was counting down the man's steps waiting for the prime opportunity to shock him. Ben sized Sawyer up and down and asked him an unusual question.

"How much do you weigh?"

Sawyer was alarmed at the question but still, he answered with _180, give or take a few. _Ben then asked Sawyer hold old he was and once Elle heard this, she stood in front of him. Something wasn't right with these questions, she thought to herself. Sawyer tried to push her aside, but she wouldn't budge.

"Are you going to ask his shoe size next?"

Boy, was she cocky, he thought to himself, and even though Sawyer was angry with her, he couldn't help but laugh. Telling Ben that he was thirty-two years old, Ben's eyes, wide with disbelief told him to tell the truth. Sawyer reluctantly swallowed down his white lie and sighed that he was thirty-five. As he nodded his head, acknowledging the truth, Ben opened the cage door and stepped into the puddle. Sawyer, with cat like reflexes, latched onto Ben's shirt collar and hit the machine with his foot. Jabbing it again, Sawyer looked at Ben skeptically.

"What did you do?"

Raising a hand over his head, a narrow nightstick in his hand, Ben told Sawyer that they turned off the power. Bringing down the club, Ben made contact with Sawyer's skull. The sound echoed off the concrete blocks of the cage. Elle reached for the nightstick, but Ben turned his malicious eyes upon her and calmly spoke.

"I don't want to have to hurt you too," he sneered, "but unlike the others, you being pregnant doesn't hinder my choices."

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Kate screamed from her cage.

Ben began to kick Sawyer while he was on the ground, his hands shielding his face. Nearly beating him into an unconscious frenzy, Elle watched helplessly as Ben took his frustration out on Sawyer. Ben seemed to remember why he had come out all that way and he brought his foot to a halt midair. Wiping his brow, he looked at Sawyer's limp body on the muddied ground of the cage. Looking over at Elle, who had sunk into the corner of the cage, he motioned for her to come to him.

"I'll give you a minute," he pointed down at Sawyer, "to do whatever you lovers do in a time like this."

Elle gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Slowly making her way towards Ben, he shook a disapproving finger in her face.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

"How easy it was for you to kill Sully," he scowled, "for a man you loved."

"This time," he sneered, "you wouldn't even get as far as cocking the gun."

He pulled back his hand and his reddened palm met Elle's cheek, her head whipped back. Such a powerful slap from such a little man, Elle thought as the light around her began to fade away, tiny dots fluttered in her eyes, like lightening bugs on a summer's night. She could hear a voice calling her name, it sounded almost angelic. Oh God, she thought to herself, I can't be dead, can I?

Kate, shouting Elle's name repeatedly, finally resorted to throwing pebbles towards the cage. Making contact with each pebble, she saw Elle stir. She called her name once more and Elle came to.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Kate sighed, relieved that Elle had come to.

Bringing a hand to her cheek, Elle could still feel Ben's slap, hot and raw against her skin. Clenching her jaw, she eased herself up to a sitting position. I can't believe I passed out from that, she thought to herself. I must be weaker than I thought. Scanning the cage, she noticed that Sawyer was nowhere to be seen. Grabbing the bars of the cage, she pulled on them with all her strength.

"Where is he?"

"They took him," Kate sighed, "after Ben knocked you out, two more of his goons came and drug Sawyer off."

"The bug-eyed freak can't do the heavy lifting?" Elle was furious.

She walked to the corner of her cage, stretched her hand through the bar, and grabbed a hold of a large rock. Making her way to the corner that housed the camera, she stood in front of it and screamed. Threatening the camera with her rock, she knew someone had to be watching. Why else would they have a camera set up?

"I swear to God," she shouted, "you hurt him, you _will_ regret it!"

Chucking the rock at the camera, she hit her target, the camera came falling down, bits and pieces of metal, and glass hit the ground. Kate looked on as Elle's anguish began to dwindle into tiny masses of tears. She had never seen Elle so vulnerable before and it worried her. At the same time, Elle had already watched as Sawyer was almost taken from her once and she thought back to their recuperation in the hatch. She loved him, despite all their trials and petty fights; he was the one person she longed to be with and dreaded to be without. She wiped away her tears with angry hands and pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. Staring out through the cage's bars, she made Kate a promise.

"We're getting out of here," she growled through gritted teeth, "and we'll leave them bruised and hurtin' in our wake."

Chapter 7

Solitary confinement didn't suit Elle and she was approaching the end of her metaphoric rope. She was pacing the confines of her cage, hands in her pockets, half listening to Kate. Words bounced off the bars of her soul such as _safe, secure, revenge, haste, _salivating from Kate's lips to the barren drums of her ears. Shaking them off like fleas on a stray, Elle stopped in her tracks. Looking down she noticed a slight indentation in the soil, a scar from all her pacing. Looking across to Kate, she attempted a weak smile.

"I know you mean well," she bit her lip, "but…"

Kate interrupted with a nod of approval.

"But shut the hell up?"

Laughing as her thoughts echoed out of Kate's mouth, she threw her hands up to the sky releasing all her frustrations.

"I wish they'd just bring him back."

Kate uncrossed her legs, flexed her toes, and stood up. Entwining her fingers, she stretched them out, cracking her knuckles with intensity. She continued to stretch out finishing off with a swift crack of her neck. Calling out to Elle, Kate was altogether serious.

"It's time."

Elle looked at her quizzically, for a moment she was unsure of her statement. Kate's eyes seemed to glisten with anticipation and all of a sudden, Elle knew exactly what she meant. Kate was ready to break out, again, and this time nothing was going to get in her way. Before she knew it, Elle began to scale the wall, grabbing onto the bars of her cage. Hoisting herself up, she was about to slide her way through the slats in the top, when she noticed a few people making their way towards the cages, down the beaten path. She relaxed her grip and swung down with zero effort, landing gracefully on her feet. Kate whispered an inquiry to her, but was silenced by the seriousness in Elle's eyes. Elle recognized his maroon colored shirt, tattered, and soiled, his hair caked to his face.

Tom opened the door to the cage and ushered a bloody and haggard looking Sawyer in. Tom raised an eyebrow, noticing Elle was a bit out of breath, but dismissed his suspicions, placed a bucket of water and a sponge near the ledge, and looked at her sympathetically. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that he winked at her, as if he was trying to clue her in to something bigger than what was right in front of her eyes.

"He's going to need a bit of help," he told her, handing her a pile of clothing.

"These are for you."

She knelt by Sawyer's side and stroked his hair back. He shuddered from her touch, scooted his rear towards the ledge, pushing her away.

"Just," he scowled, "let me be."

"What did they do to you?" she shouted, afraid that the damaged man they brought back to her wasn't the man they stole from her.

"Questions," he mumbled, "they just asked me pointless questions."

The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, his face, pale in comparison to the rest of his body, indicated that they did more than just _ask_ some trivial questions. The flap of his shirt was raised just enough to reveal a bandage of some sorts. Reaching out her hand to lift his shirt, Elle felt the sting of his slap. Kate watched, abhorred by his actions, and shouted across the cages.

"Hey!" she grabbed the bars of her cage, "Go easy on her!"

"You have no idea what she's gone through."

Sawyer mumbled, his syrupy voice coated his words in sarcasm.

"What _she's_ gone through?"

Through gritted teeth, he growled.

"I said…," he paused to catch his breath, glancing at the both of them, "just let me alone."

Biting her tongue, Elle knew she shouldn't test him, but after all she had gone through, worrying about him, she didn't care for his childish behaviors, or whether or not he was pushing her away. She could see right through his bullshit. After all, you can't con a con. If he wants to play this game, she thought to herself, we'll see who will crack first. Motioning to Kate to ignore him, she waited until Kate reluctantly paced back to her makeshift bed of dirt and hay and curled into a ball.

Picking up the sponge, she dunked it into the cool water, wrung it out, and began to wash off the dirt and salty sweat from her neck. She let the water drenched her as she undid the straps to her dress, letting them slip, revealing the swell in her breasts. Turning her back to him, and Kate, she lowered the dress, pulled on a teal tank top, that snuggly fit her bodice. A bit of a belly was noticeable, but what really caught her breath was the fact that her breasts seemed suppler, more alive. Lifting a leg up to the ledge, she ran the sponge over it seductively, stealing a glance at Sawyer in the corner of the cage. He refused to look her in the eyes; instead, his eyes followed every move of the sponge, caressing her limbs with the cleansing stream of water. Tugging on a pair of jeans beneath the fold of her dress, she slipped the dress off, turned slowly to face him, and met his eyes. An erratic beeping began to emit from his person, causing alarm in Elle.

"What the hell is that?"

"Nothin'," he lied, the beeping increased as she sauntered her way towards him.

"Like hell it's nothing," she curled her lip.

Sawyer's face was clouded in fear and his brow began to sweat. Elle sensed that he was afraid and she was anxious to find out what the cause of his vulnerability was. She sat down beside him, crossing her legs, adjusting the straps of her tank top. The beeping slowly subsided and Elle took his chin in her hand and raised his face so he had nowhere to look but in her eyes.

"What's got you so spooked?"

She slid her hand down his chest, landing on his bandage, and saw an incision about two inches wide. The gentle touch of her fingers sent chills down his spine, blood began to circulate, and his heart began to beat faster. The beeping started up again. Reaching for his wrist, Elle found a band, similar to a watch, a tiny black heart pulsing each time it beeped.

"Planning on going for a run?" she joked with him, recognizing the object as a heart monitor that joggers use.

"Ain't planning on nothin'," he curtly replied, pulling his hand back from her.

Fearful that the _Others_ did something far worse than question him, brute force or not, she placed a finger on his chest wound. She could feel his heart beating through her palm, in sync with the incessant beeping of the monitor. He averted his eyes from her face, once again landing on her chest. Trying to calm himself down, he pictured her in a potato sack, he pictured her in a turtleneck, but to no avail, each mental picture of her was pure sex to him. His monitor began to beep faster. Putting two and two together, she brought a hand to her open mouth.

"What did they do to your heart, Sawyer?"

She punched his arm when he didn't answer her.

"Damn it, tell me!"

Pulling himself up from the ground, he swiftly moved to the bucket, lifted it over his head, and drenched himself with the cool water. Shaking the water from his hair, he looked her straight in the face and sneered.

"The mere look of ya is going to be the death of me!"

With that said, he slouched back to the ground and turned away from her. The beeping had ceased and there was nothing to be heard but the sigh that Elle let out when she walked over to him once again. She furrowed her brow and looked at him with her big brown eyes. She batted her eyelashes at him and bit her lip. For the first time since he had been brought back, he let out a small chuckle.

"You'll neva give up," he shook his head, "will ya?"

"Giving up isn't my style, cowboy."

She placed a small peck on his lips and let her mouth linger for a moment. She told him that she knew he wouldn't tell her until he felt the time was right. She only asked him to promise that he would stop pushing her away. Telling him that she wasn't going to go anywhere, she took his hard into her own, and caressed it. She believed that they would get through whatever was in store for them only because she had hope. Elle fell asleep on his shoulder and she could have sworn she heard him whisper into her ear:

"That's one thing I'm fresh out of."

As time lapsed, an alarm went off around the compound, waking up each of them with a start. Jumping to their feet, they ran to their cages and looked out as Juliet guided a hooded Jack along the path that outlined their cages. Shouting at the top of their lungs, Elle, Kate, and Sawyer all began to scream his name. With each hearty breath, Sawyer called out.

"Doc!" he took a breath, "Hey Doc!"

Elle watched as for a solitary moment, Jack turned his head towards their voices, and for that single, brief moment, Elle thought they had a chance. Shattering her dreams, she watched as Juliet just stared her down, shaking her head. Juliet mouthed the words, _it's no use_ and took Jack's elbow in her hand and led him away. Elle crouched down to her knees, her head in her hands, and watched Kate look down the path, a teardrop slowly making its way down her reddened face. Time lapsed and they concluded that they needed Jack for his specialty: surgery.

"Broke-nose's woman," Sawyer whispered, "she was in bad shape."

Exhausted, Sawyer took Elle into his arms and held her close as she fell back to sleep. Looking out the cage toward Kate, he offered her a consoling smile, which she returned.

"I know," she whispered, "he's alive and well."

Their cage door was being opened by an infuriated Pickett, who drug Sawyer to his feet and threw him to the ground. Elle's frantic screams woke Kate up. Kate could only look from behind the bars of her cage helplessly. Kate watched as Elle attempted to run out of the cage but was pushed back by Pickett's strong hand. Slamming the door shut, he threw Sawyer up against the bars, and the rusted metal stabbed his back. Sawyer yelped in pain.

"Easy does it, Hoss!"

Pickett began to punch Sawyer in the face, a right jab knocked against his jaw, sending bloodied spit out of the corner of his mouth. Pickett caused Sawyer's neck to whip back to the left, with a quick and fierce jab with his coarse knuckled hand. Elle was reaching through the bars, her arms shielding Sawyer's face from the blows of Pickett. Screaming for him to stop only made Pickett swing more. Sawyer never raised his hand to Pickett; he hardly put up a fight. Every once in awhile, his wrist monitor would beep, but would die out with each breath he drew. Elle blocked his punch with her arms, deflecting for a moment a hit that could have knocked Sawyer unconscious. Sawyer's head hung limp against the bars, cradled in Elle's arms. Pickett kicked up his foot and planted it into his ribs. Elle's tears were streaming down her face, sliding down Sawyer's bloodied cheeks; her screams reverberated down the valley. Pickett took a hold of Sawyer's shirt collar, looked Elle square in the face and threatened her. With each blow making contact with Sawyer's already swollen face, the words hit Elle like a ton of bricks.

"_Do_…," he punched Sawyer.

"_You_…," he punched him again. Elle begged him to stop.

"_Love_…," he spat on Sawyer's face.

"_Him_?"

Pickett was out of breath, tears were running from his eyes, his nose leaked. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he asked her again.

"Is he worth it?"

Shouting at the top of her lungs, her words came out in sobs.

"Yes!"

"_Yes_!"

For a moment, Elle saw Pickett let down his guard; his face was riddled with emotion. Such raw emotion, Elle knew something terrible had happened to that woman they saw being carried on a stretcher. He blames us, she thought to herself, he blames us for her death. He wants revenge, she bit back the thought, and he's out for blood. Like hell he was going to take Sawyer away from her. Just as quickly as he let down his guard, his demeanor switched back to the hardened bastard they had all come to know. Looking to one of the other men that had tagged along, he shouted an order, and walked back down the path with his head hung.

"Lock him up!"

Chapter 8

Since Ben came back for Sawyer two days ago, he returned a different man. He wasn't as sarcastic, he wasn't as seductive, in all fairness, Elle thought, he was just a shell. She slept upon his chest, but his arms hung limply by his side. It was as if he had given up on her, and given into the fate that had them caged. Elle knew he was hiding something and she did all she could to get him to open up to her, but he wouldn't budge. Pickett showed up that morning to raise them out of their slumber. Work had to be done and he wasn't in the mood for negotiations. Demanding Kate and Elle to line up for work, he dismissed Sawyer.

"I'm not going anywhere without him," Elle stood defiantly.

"If the man's givin' me a day off," he shrugged, "I ain't goin' to fight it."

"No, Sawyer," Kate chimed in, "we're a team."

"We break the rocks," Elle played into Kate's speech, "you haul 'em."

Pickett watched as the women stood defiantly and Sawyer looked on, being pulled in both directions by two stubborn women. Frustrated with how the morning was starting, Pickett unlocked Sawyer's cage and escorted him out.

"Pity if I break up the _team_," he said through taut lips.

They walked towards the quarry and the sun burned down upon their heads. Elle and Kate were handed the pick axes while Pickett rolled a wheelbarrow towards Sawyer. Commanding them to get to work, he left them with a few last words. Eyeballing Sawyer and Elle, he pointed towards them.

"This time," he snarled, "no screwin' around."

Elle laughed sardonically. Kate couldn't believe what she heard. Sawyer stared at Elle, the glimmer in his eyes, all but gone.

"Like that's goin' to happen!"

She pushed past Sawyer, took Kate's elbow, and led her to their workstation. Whispering to Kate that the southern charmer didn't find pregnancy attractive in his women, Kate just laughed.

"You know that isn't the case."

"Then why is he practically sleep walking?"

"There has to be a reason," Kate tried to reassure her, "there's always a reason with his mood swings."

Elle laughed aloud. Was she delirious? The sun was doing a number on her. She felt lightheaded, but didn't think much of it. She lifted the axe and it connected with a rock, shattering into pieces. She put two fingers to her lips and blew. Sawyer tucked strands of hair behind his ear and looked at her with such apprehension. Standing there, idly leaning up against the barrow, he barely budged.

"Any day now, cowboy!" Elle hollered.

One of the _Others'_ lackies marched by and hissed at Elle.

"No talking!"

"How about sign language then?" Elle smirked, throwing up both middle fingers in the direction of the _Others_ who had gathered around for a break.

Sawyer couldn't help but grin as he watched Elle tell them to go all to hell. He wanted to run over to her, lift her up into his arms, and spin her around. Instead, he turned his back to her, lifted the handles of the barrow, and spun it around in her direction. He made contact with her, his eyes glimmered for a brief moment, and he winked.

"At your service."

A stout woman, short dark hair, a bandana in her hair, walked over to Sawyer and told him to shut up and get back to work.

"Before you feel the short end of this stick."

Sawyer smirked about to reply something off color when out of the corner of his eye he saw Elle sway from side to side. Throwing down the barrow, rocks spilling out onto the ground, he ran to her just as her eyes rolled back into her head. The color had drained from her face; her brow heavy with sweat, her breathing was labored.

"Elle, damn it Elle," he shouted, slapping her face.

A crowd had gathered and surrounded them; one of the guards took a hold of Kate, wary that this was an attempt at escape. She didn't put up a fight and looked on as Sawyer lifted Elle up into his arms and spun around to face the bastards that made her work in such harrowing weather.

"She needs a doctor," he growled, "and I know you're hiding ours."

Juliet pushed through the crowd and called over her walkie-talkie. Sawyer could hear Tom's voice responding to her call.

"Yeah, yeah, Juliet," Tom's husky voice echoed over the walkie, "we'll bring Jack to the medical station."

"Ten minutes, top, Tom," Juliet ordered, "tell him our situation."

She looked at Sawyer and knew he wouldn't hand over Elle. Motioning to Pickett to follow them, she told Sawyer how things were going to go.

"I know you're concerned, James," she attempted a smile, "so I'm allowing you to go with us."

"But he's coming along," she pointed to Pickett, "to keep you in line."

"I ain't about to start trouble," he was barely audible.

"Just tell me what's wrong with her."

They walked quickly to the medical station where Elle first had her sonogram. Laying her on the table, Sawyer looked around and was relieved to see a familiar face. In the corner, donning a pair of surgical gloves, a stethoscope hanging from his neck, Jack nodded towards him, walked over, and stood over Elle's body. Their greetings were simple yet short.

"Sawyer."

"Doc."

Jack took in the entourage that followed his friends and gave Juliet a disapproving look.

"This isn't necessary," he pointed to Pickett and the two other men that had filled up the already small and confined room.

"I beg to differ," Pickett offered.

"Last time we left you alone to do your doctor thing," his lip quivered, "you killed my wife."

"She was already dead when I arrived," Jack replied. Pickett made a move towards Jack and Juliet stepped in between the two.

"Boys!"

"Hey Doc," Sawyer cut in, "I'm always up for a game of '_an eye for an eye'_," he glared at Pickett, "but you think you can focus on our girl here?"

Snapping his attention back to Elle, Jack placed the stethoscope upon her breastbone and listened to her heart. Taking into account the heat, her pregnancy, and the forced labor she had been put through the past few days, not to mention the added stress of witnessing the attempted murder of Sawyer, Jack concluded that Elle was undernourished and dehydrated.

"We do know she's eating for two, right?" Jack threw an accusatory glance Juliet's way.

Juliet did all but nod and went to the cabinet. Opening it up, she pulled out a large needle and a vial of an amber substance. Injecting the needle into the vial, she pulled back the knob and the syringe began to fill up with the substance. Walking over to Elle, the sharp end of the needle facing the ceiling, she stopped and hovered over Elle. Jack and Sawyer both barricaded Elle from Juliet, throwing their hands up in defense.

"Whoa there Dr. Quinn," Sawyer growled, "don't even think about it."

"If you stop me from injecting her," Juliet said matter of factly, "she'll only worsen."

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Jack asked Juliet, his hands on his hips.

Juliet looked from the syringe to Pickett and back at Jack and Sawyer. She told Pickett and the others to leave her for a minute. Pickett refused to leave and Juliet glared at him and threatened she'd call Ben. Pickett spat on the ground and signaled the others to follow him out the door. Closing it behind him, he turned back to Juliet.

"We'll be right outside."

"Now," Sawyer put on his serious face, "let's get on with it."

Juliet found herself cornered and settled herself against the cool slab of marble on the counter. She told them that she was a fertility doctor, brought to this island to run tests on the pregnant women. She told them about her sister, diagnosed with Cancer, impregnated by a serum she had concocted and ran multiple trials on. She told them how a man who promised her a fascinating career in medicine recruited her and how that all went up in smoke the moment she found out she was trapped on an island, her tests failed one after the other.

"Failed?" Jack asked.

"We lost seven women," she looked down to the floor, "we lost their babies."

"What are you sayin'?" Sawyer took a step towards her.

"I'm saying," Juliet looked him square in the face, "women who became pregnant on this island…," she didn't finish.

Sawyer's voice grew deeper, his brow furrowed, and he clenched his fists.

"Die?" his face reddened.

"Are you telling me that she's going to die?"

Juliet raised her eyes to look the angered Sawyer in the face.

"Yes, James, that is what I'm telling you."

Sawyer looked to Jack for support. He bit back his words, choking back a lump in his throat. Mustering up what he could get across, his words came out weak, his voice trembled.

"Doc," he shook the haunting thoughts from his head, "you can figure something out, right?"

"To save my girl…," he couldn't look Jack in the face, "to save our baby?"

Jack didn't know what to say. He wanted to offer Sawyer positive insight, some consoling words of wisdom. All he could do was to share a worried stare. Breaking them from their trance, Elle began to squirm, her eyes fluttered open. Wide eyed and scared, she recognized the room. Two men were standing over her body, their backs to her. She couldn't make out what they were saying. She had just had the strangest and most frightening dream. She dreamt she was dying, her baby, fighting for its life. She dreamt she was in labor, premature, the baby's wails the last thing she heard before all around her grew dark and cold. She was sweating and tears were running down her cheeks. She let out a scream, raising her body to a sitting position. Sawyer and Jack both turned around, their faces full of concern. Trying to calm her down, they were both struck by the fear that emitted from her eyes.

"My baby!" she screamed, "Save my baby!"

Sawyer made a move towards her, but Juliet tugged on his elbow and pulled him backwards. Shoving him out of the way, she advanced towards the frightened Elle, syringe in hand. Elle sat there, wide eyed and frightened, watching as the fertility doctor loomed over her with a rather large needle. Jack was about to grab Juliet's arm before she was able to inject Elle, but he didn't make it in time. Juliet was calm and agile as she made the injection into Elle's stomach. The cold needle pushed through her hardened abdomen, warmth began to take over her body as Juliet pushed down on the syringe. The yellow substance slowly made its way into Elle's body, transferring to the baby within. Elle winced in pain as Juliet pulled the needle out, applying a gauze pad to cover the injection site. Elle jumped off the table, her hands quickly took their protective place over her womb. Recalling the needle prick she found on her stomach when she woke up in the locker room, she realized that Juliet hadn't taken blood. She was injected with something. Her baby was injected!

"What the hell did you just do?"

Juliet discarded the empty syringe into a waste basket and began to wash her hands in the sink. She took her damn time, her back to the three of them. Turning to face them, she simply stated.

"I just saved you."

Sawyer took Elle into his arms and held her there as she swayed a bit from the excitement. He told her that she was going to be okay, that their baby was going to be just fine, as long as Juliet was around to administer the serum that may just be the baby's only chance at survival. Elle took this frightening news in, piece by piece, finding it hard to swallow the fact that her worst nightmare just may come true.

"You're saying," she swallowed, "we could both die?"

Jack wouldn't let Juliet fill Elle's head with anymore dread. He turned to Juliet, shook his head, and walked over to Elle. Offering her his hand, she cautiously took it, and he led her out of the room.

Sawyer watched as Jack took Elle and began to lead her away.

"Care to fill me in, Doc?"

"She needs to rest, Sawyer," Jack was endearing, "I'll take care of her for the night."

"I'll be okay," Elle told Sawyer, mouthing the words, "I love you," as she was led out.

Turning to Juliet before he left, Jack told her that Elle needed to be out of the heat, at least for the night, and he was taking her back to his aquarium cell. Juliet called out to Pickett and ordered him to take Sawyer back to his cage. Sawyer put up a bit of a struggle as he watched Elle walk away, Jack's arm looped over her shoulder. Juliet sensed his jealousy and watched as he stared off at the two.

"Jack's a good man," Juliet quipped, "she'll be better off."

"I ain't worried."

Juliet slowly smiled as she spoke her final words to Sawyer before Pickett hauled him away.

"I never said you were, James."

Chapter 9

Jack guided Elle, guard free, down a long and narrow hallway until they came to a door. He knocked twice and it opened from the outside. There stood two guards, ready to escort the doctor and Elle back to Jack's quarters for the night. Elle put a hand over her eyes, shielding them from the bright sun.

"Never can get used to these hatches," she groaned.

"Some air will be good for you," Jack reassured her, "but what you really need is rest."

"Why are you doing this, Jack?" Elle asked, her eyes heavy with fatigue.

"Because I have to," Jack sighed, "because I care."

Jack swallowed back his feelings for Elle. She was looking at him with those dark and sorrowful eyes of hers. Memories about their time alone, their secret kiss, their runs on the beach, tending to her wounds, nearly suffocated him. Elle didn't know what to say to him after he professed that he still cared for her. She admired Jack and at the same time, she despised him. He always had to play the hero and that was the one thing she didn't need in her life. She hated the fact that she needed saving, she shrunk back at the idea of being helpless. When she was under Jack's care, she felt small. She quickly compared him to Sawyer. She never felt small in Sawyer's eyes. They were mirror images in some ways, sharing dark and tormented pasts, transferring all their past transgressions onto each other respectably. They fought one another, physically, emotionally, sexually, until they were both weathered and exhausted and at peace with themselves. She never felt guilty for their relationship, that was, until she met Jack. She intentionally shoved her relationship with Sawyer in Jack's face, thriving on the negative reaction, feeding off his jealousy, feeding off his need for her.

Juliet treaded a few feet back, watching the two of them make way to Jack's room. She noticed how concerned Jack was for Elle, she noted the distance Elle put between her and Jack, she took it all in. When they arrived, Juliet unlocked the door, cranked open the heavy steel door, and flicked on the light switch. Elle observed her surroundings. There wasn't much to the room. It was narrow, the florescent lighting illuminated the moldy and damp room, a large metal table sat in the center, to her left, a large picture glass window. She inhaled, deep and long, wrinkling her nose up at Juliet.

"Smells fishy," she crinkled her brow.

"Double meaning behind that?" Jack smiled.

"Actually…," Elle's lip curled into a smile, "now that you mention it…"

"I'll bring you some dinner," Juliet interrupted their small dig at the obvious motives of the _Others._

"She brings you dinner?" Elle slapped Jack a bit hard on the chest.

Jack nodded.

"Last night it was a burger."

"Shut up," Elle rolled her eyes, "I could pretend those fish biscuits were burgers all I wanted, but they'd still be fish biscuits."

Jack quizzically looked at Elle and mouthed the words _fish biscuits_ back at her. Realizing that Jack was serious about a burger and wasn't fantasizing, she stomped her foot like a five year old. Throwing her hands into the air, she let out a loud sigh.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

"Wait until Sawyer hears about this," she laughed.

"What's so funny?" he shot back at her.

"Sawyer wondered why you got the special treatment while we got stuck in bear cages." she just shook her head.

"I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him you get room service too."

Jack couldn't help but laugh. He too pictured Sawyer's face, red, and volatile, ready to spit. As quickly as he thought of Sawyer, his mind raced to Kate. Sitting down on the cool, steel table, he assisted Elle and pulled her up to sit beside him. Turning to face her, she noticed a new look in his eyes.

"How's Kate?"

Remembering their conversation about the two men, Elle recalled Kate's admiration for Jack. Perhaps it was love, or perhaps it was just mere infatuation, something she longed for, but Elle knew deep down, that Kate cared for Jack as much as Elle cared for Sawyer. Why she couldn't tell him, was beyond Elle's imagination.

"Stubborn as usual," Elle laughed, "tougher than nails."

"In all seriousness though," Elle looked at Jack, "she's worried about you."

Nodding that he too was worried, Jack sat there silent, staring off into the glass mirror. He told her how not a minute went by that he didn't think about Kate; how he hoped they didn't harm her.

"I worried about all of you," he sighed, "don't get me wrong…"

"But…," Elle interjected.

"But I can't get her out of my mind."

Sensing the moment of opportunity that presented itself, Elle found it necessary to tell Jack just how much Kate cared. Someone had to tell him. Who knew when Kate would get the chance, or if she did, would she take advantage of it?

"We're going to get out of here Jack," Elle told him.

She told him of their plan, to sneak out of the cages, to run, as they had never run before. She told him how Kate was getting anxious; the claustrophobia restricting her, the cage has begun to take its toll on her. She'll want to come for you, Elle told him, and she won't leave without you. Jack looked at Elle, his eyes downcast. Something she had said saddened him. Prodding him for information, Jack exhaled and told her their fate.

"You can run all you want," he shook his head, "but you won't get far."

"What do you mean by that?" Elle's interest was peaked.

"We're not on our island," he jumped down from the table.

"Then where the hell are we?" Elle could feel her blood boil.

Walking to the corner, he picked up a plate and glass from a leftover meal and brought them back to the table. Placing the plate on the table, he told Elle that the plate represented their island.

"This glass," he placed it a foot from the plate, "is where we are."

"A smaller island," he turned to face her, "miles away from our own."

"How do you know this?" she questioned him.

"Juliet."

Skeptical of his answer, she cocked her head to the side and gave him the look that only he could read.

"I believe her," he lowered his voice, "but I believe my own eyes over anything else."

"After the funeral for that woman," he began, "we took a walk."

Telling her how they ended up atop a small mountain, he overlooked the ocean, only to see that their home away from home was miles away, vast ocean in between the two islands. As he laid the details out to Elle, he could see that she was shocked; above all else, she was frightened. Questioning this, he mentioned how he would have thought Sawyer would have told her.

"Sawyer?" she asked, her eyes large with surprise.

"I know they did something horrible to him," Jack sympathized, "I could hear his cries over the monitor."

"After the surgery failed, they kept me handcuffed to her body, testing me."

Elle cringed at the thought of having to be that close to a dead body, with no way out.

"Walking back from the mountain, in the distance I could see Sawyer and Ben making their way up to where I had just come from."

"That's not possible." Elle crossed her arms in defense.

"Elle…"

"No, Jack," she spat, "why wouldn't he tell me?"

"Same reason _I just did_," he placed a hand on her shoulder, "to protect you."

Meanwhile back in their respectable cages, Sawyer and Kate paced their cells. The only sounds were crickets and the mind numbing dripping of the water from Sawyer's feed machine. Sawyer shuffled his feet, kicking up clay and dust. Running his hands through his hair, his finger caught on the matted tresses.

"Damn it!" he cried out.

Kate looked over, startled out of her trance.

"What?" she grabbed onto the bars, "Are you okay?"

"Peachy." he grumbled.

"What's going on, Sawyer?" she asked, aware that he seemed preoccupied with other things besides Elle's safety.

"It's nothin'," he mumbled, pacing toward the edge of his cell.

"Right," she mocked him, "like hell it's nothing."

"Look, I don't like the fact that they kept Elle either," she attempted, "but she'll be back."

"When she does," her tone was serious, "we'll run for it."

"Ain't nowhere to run to," he spat, "don't you get that, Freckles?"

"What do you mean there's nowhere to run to?" Kate propped a foot on the bars of her cage.

Sawyer closed himself off to her, turning his back to her, ignoring her pleas.

"Damn it," she shouted, "what the hell have you been hiding?"

He turned to face her, his eyes full of rage, his mouth hardened into a thin, straight line. His jaw was clenched as he gritted his teeth, grabbing a hold of the bars of his cage, wringing them tightly.

"We ain't on our island, Sassafras," he hissed.

Stunned, Kate stepped back, bringing her hands to her head. Pulling her hair slightly back in frustration, she clenched her jaw.

"Then where the hell are we?"

"A little island similar to Alcatraz," he relented, "a whole 'nother world."

"When were you going to tell us!" she shouted, demanding Sawyer to reveal his motives.

"Neva." he simply stated.

"Why, Sawyer," she whimpered, "why the hell not?"

"_Because_, damn it," he squared his jaw, "I ain't a believer in propogatin' false hope."

"God-damn-you!" she shouted.

"You have any idea how Elle is going to react when she finds out?"

"She ain't goin' to find out," he threatened.

"From you," he glared, "or from me."

"It's not the time for being selfish, James." she threw an accusatory glare his way.

"_Don't…," _he growled, "call me _James_."

With that said, he spat at the mere sound of his name, ringing foreign in his ears. It wasn't a name he enjoyed hearing come from his mouth, let alone Kate's. The only two people in the world that could make his name sound like warm, sugary, butter were his mother and Elle. One was dead to him, a tattooed memory on his faded soul, the other, carrying his child, holed up somewhere, fragile, and with another man. _And I didn't do a damn thing to stop either from happening,_ he cursed himself.

Chapter 10

Sawyer had a long night, as he tossed and turned, reaching out into thin air as the mirage of Elle slipped out of his hands. His conscience was heavy and his heart was aching. Slimy thoughts crept through his head as he mumbled that his heart wasn't the only organ that ached for her. Slapping the pre-island grime from his Sawyer-like mind, his thoughts quickly turned to present day, James as he longed to hold Elle in his arms. He longed to bite that lip of hers that she so coyly played with. Thoughts seesawed their way through his mind; was the Doc making a move on her, was she responsive to his touch, would she come back to him, safe and his alone? Tired and sickened by his abusive thoughts, he rose and watched the sun slowly make its way over the horizon.

Kate and Sawyer were ushered to their daily grunt work. Kate was working hard as she looked on, as Sawyer was well, hardly working. He was lifting every piece of rubble as if his shoulders were weighed down by the world. Lobbing them into the already stocked pile, each rock thundered as they collided and tumbled off the cache. Sawyer wasn't paying attention as Juliet walked her way over to Kate and asked her to join her on a walk.

"What?" Kate asked, "Not going to hold a gun to my head again?"

"That had nothing to do with you." Juliet tilted her head.

"It had everything to do with me," Kate hissed, "the gun was pointed at _my _head!"

"You shouldn't take everything at face value, Katherine," Juliet preached.

Pulling out a hemp bag similar to the one Kate had put over her head that day on the pier, she asked Kate to put it on.

"There's something you need to do for us," Juliet demanded.

"You think that I'm going to put that over my head and just go with you," Kate smirked, "just like _that_?"

"Yes, Kate, I do," Juliet never blinked, "because if you don't, I won't help your friend Elle."

Kate wavered. Usually steadfast in her defiance, hearing that Elle's life was in danger, Kate snatched the bag from Juliet's hand and pulled it down over her own head. Muttering from inside the cloth bag, she motioned with her hands.

"Lead the way."

Back in the aquarium, Jack and Elle sat side-by-side eating turkey sandwiches. Elle picked up a potato chip and sucked on its salty ridges. She exaggerated her excitement by rolling back her eyes and sighing. Punching Jack playfully on his arm, she pretended to be angry, but there was laughter in her voice. With her mouth full and her eyes wide she spoke.

"You're telling me, while I hunted boar," she swallowed down a bite of her sandwich, "these bastards had real, salted, heart fattening meat?"

"Does that really surprise you?" Jack looked at her from his peripheral.

Shaking her head, Elle bit her lip and thought that over. _Does it really surprise me? We're on this godforsaken island, with hatches full of modern equipment, boxes fall from the sky full of food, and "Others" have taken us captives. _Looking up at Jack she curtly replied as she crinkled her nose in disgust.

"Nope, not one bit."

"So why are you here Jack," Elle asked him out of the blue, "while we are in cages?"

Sighing, Jack explained that Ben needs him to do spinal surgery. By some random act of insanity, Ben has a cancerous tumor on his spine, the plane crashed, and low and behold, a spinal surgeon fell from the sky. Repeating his words, Jack looked at Elle.

"It was like God answered his prayers."

Jack let out a maniacal laugh and threw his ceramic plate across the room. It hit the glass partition and shattered into tiny broken pieces. Elle sat there, her eyes wide in surprise, trying hard not to laugh at Jack's outburst. She had never witnessed Jack mentally break and she was arriving at the conclusion that this may have not been his first. His face was eerily stoic and serene, while his mannerisms were sporadic.

"So you're going to do it," she attempted, "the surgery?"

"No, Elle," his eyes were full of hate, "just the opposite."

"You're not a murderer, Jack," Elle stooped to pick up the broken pieces.

"I mean, you took an oath."

"He's _the _murderer," Jack spat, "and there's a moment in life where circumstances supersede oaths."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jack," Ben interrupted, his figure appearing behind the glass partition.

He didn't look sorry, for himself or for them. In fact, Elle thought he looked absent. _I wonder if feels anything at all_, she thought to herself, sickened to her stomach. He stared through Jack for a few moments and then turned his gaze onto Elle. As if seeing her for the first time, he tilted his head, his eyes, small and beady, burned her retinas.

"Fed the puppy, took it in," his smile was wicked, "time to take it for a ride."

"You won't lay a hand on her!" Jack screamed, afraid that Ben would cause harm to Elle and her unborn child.

What else could he have meant by taking a dog for a ride? Parents only told their children that they were taking poor Fluffy for a ride, when in actuality; they were taking it out to be stranded, or worse, left for dead. Finding Jack's comment amusing, Ben turned back to face him, before turning off the intercom.

"I wouldn't think of it, Jack."

The lights turned off in the adjoining room and the door to their cell opened with a long, shrilly creak. Pickett walked in, cuffed Elle and put a bag over her head. Ben stood in the doorway, took off his glasses, and wiped them with his shirt.

"Shame you won't rethink your decision, Doctor."

"Danny, take Elle back to her cage," Ben smirked, "pity if she happens to have an accident on the way."

Struggling against Pickett's stronghold, Elle elbowed him in the stomach, but he recovered fast. Jerking her arms tighter as they twisted against her back, he shoved her out the door. Elle could hear Jack shuffling towards the door in a frenzy, pounding on the door, crying out for Pickett not to lay one filthy finger on her.

As they trudged back to the cages, Elle did her hardest to fight off Pickett, but once he threatened her baby, she conceded to his tight hold over her. He pulled on her arms, bringing them to a halt. She heard two people approaching and Pickett greeted them.

"Juliet."

"Danny."

"Where are you taking Austen?"

Recognizing the name, Elle hollered from behind the hemp bag.

"Kate!"

"Elle!" Kate replied, "Are you okay?"

"Never better," she chuckled, "why wouldn't I be?"

"She said she'd hur…," Kate was cut off as Juliet shoved her pointy elbow into her side.

Hearing the wind being knocked out of Kate, Elle shouted, asking what had happened.

"Who said _what_?"

There wasn't a response. This caused Elle to become alarmed and she raised her voice, panic coated her tone.

"Kate, damn it, what happened?"

She heard Pickett chortle as he shoved her along. He told her she should have minded her own business. Hadn't she learned that whomever she had come in contact with would face the consequences of her decisions? She hurt everyone she had ever known. Why would Kate, Sawyer, even Jack, be any different?

"Go to hell!" she spat, her hot breath smacked her in the face as it hit the bag.

"You first, sugar," he braced himself for another elbow, recalling the last time he had called her sugar.

Laughing as she missed, he whispered in her ear before he shoved her into her cage, removing the bag from her head.

"Best be making every moment you have left with him count."

Her eyes locked on Sawyer as he aroused from a slumber. Jumping to his feet, he grabbed her passionately and pulled her into his arms.

"Get your goddamn hands off'a her!"

Pickett just smirked, nodding towards Elle as Sawyer's back was to him. Pointing to her, he took his hand, made it into an imaginary gun, and pulled the fictionalized trigger.

Chapter 11

Embracing Elle with all the love and strength he could muster, he vowed he'd never let her go. However, like most of his promises, this one was to be broken as well. Not of his own doing, no, but of hers. He leaned his mouth to meet hers and their lips pressed upon one another's with desire, their mouths opened, and with all she could, she bit his lip. He winced in shock, but ignored it, hoping she was being playful. She did it again, but this time she drew blood, thrusted her palms against his chest, and shoved him.

"When were you going to tell me?" she shouted, her shrills echoed off the concrete blocks.

"Hell, darlin', tell you what?" he licked his lip and ran his fingers through his hair.

Elle stood there, staring her best friend, her lover, her conspirator in the face, her eyes, swollen from tears she cried on her trek back. Their deep, chocolate brown color, was glazed over with anger, hatred, and disappointment. He searched her eyes for that glimmer of hope he was always sure to find, despite their worst conditions, but he found nothing. He wanted to cower as daggers shot from her eyes; his heart panged with discontent. What he saw, slapped him in the face. In her eyes, he saw no way off the island. He saw that she knew. He felt betrayed, by the one person he considered a friend, a viable nemesis, a worthy component. Sonofabitch, he grumbled.

"The Doc," he kept his eyes glued to the dirt, "he told you?"

"Why didn't you tell me," she pleaded, hoping Jack was right, that Sawyer did it out of love.

He raised his head, the sun played off his golden speckled green eyes, and his mouth attempted to form the words, but they remained silenced by the despair that hovered over their heads. She made her way towards him, ran her hand through his tresses, glided a finger down his cheek, and landed on his chest. She stood on her tiptoes and graced his mouth with a passionate kiss. She let the air between their mouths linger and grow hotter as their breathing became heavier. Pulling away, she asked him again. This time he answered. He placed one hand on the small of her back while he pulled her neck into his chest.

"I did it for you," he sighed, "to protect you and the baby."

"I know," she nodded into his chest, "I know."

Hard to believe she would put him through all of that, if she had already known, he laughed.

"You knew?"

"Yeah, James," she hugged him tighter, "I just needed to hear it, that's all."

Sitting on the cool dirt floor, she told him about Jack's situation and the operation they wanted him to perform. Sawyer took the information in and questioned her.

"So, we're just bait?"

"Looks like it."

Remembering that she had passed Kate on the way back, she turned to face Kate's cage. Jumping to her feet, she looked down on Sawyer as he sat there watching her.

"She hasn't come back yet?"

"One minute we were working in the quarry," he shook his head, "the next…"

"She was just gone?" Elle asked incredulously.

"She's been gone all afternoon," Sawyer stood behind Elle, placing his hands over the bars above her head. A spectator looking in would have observed how he looked like a human shield. Elle gave in and turned to face him, her back against the bars.

"Juliet has her," she told him, "and that can only mean one thing."

"Jack." Sawyer said his name, drawing out his breath.

"But why?"

Elle bit her lip, drew her head to her chest, and averted Sawyer's advances. Pulling her chin upwards, he locked eyes with her. Flashing back to one of their first nights on the beach, he recalled how timid and frightened she was to sleep alone.

"What is it, Elle," he asked her, "why are you so frightened to tell me?"

"Kate said something to me," she started, "but Juliet shut her up before she could finish."

"What did she say?"

"She asked me if I was okay," she closed her eyes, "said Juliet threatened me."

"She said that?"

"In more or less words," Elle confessed, noting Kate's implication in her tone.

"Why would she use you to get to Kate?"

"Not Kate," Elle shook her head, "Jack."

Sawyer gripped the bars above her head and stared out and over her brown tendrils, slowly breathing in the stale jungle air. Exhaling, he looked at Elle, noticing for the first time how small and fragile she looked beneath his large, statuesque figure. He wanted nothing more than to protect her, to get her out of there, back to their island, safely. He was waiting for the opportune moment and unfortunately, for them both, it hadn't made its appearance. They conned him into believing they would kill him in order to get him to trust that they were doing the right thing by him, that there wasn't anyway off the island. They used Kate and Elle for labor, they used him for bait, and now, they were going to use his girl and their unborn child as a means to save the bug-eyed bastard's life?

"You think the Doc will do it," he asked, "if it's your life on the line?"

"A few months ago, I would have said yes," she cringed, "but after seeing him, I really don't know."

"He hates Ben," she told him, "so much I think he'd watch him die, just because he had the power to."

"Who would have known the Doc had balls," he quipped.

"Be serious, Sawyer," she scolded him.

"Darlin'," he nudged her nose with the tip of his own, "when it comes to you, I'm always serious."

"Let's just hope Kate's convincin' then," he whispered before engaging her in a kiss.

Her back against the bars, he pressed himself onto her, guiding his hands to her waist, higher, to her to shoulders, pressing his fingers into her collarbone, massaging her shoulders as he kissed her neck and mouth. She turned the tables, pinning Sawyer against the bars and popped the button to his jeans. Without haste, she unzipped his pants and straddled his waist. They made love in that instance, forgetting that her life was on the line, ignoring the fact that their unborn child's life was in danger, giving into their animalistic desire for flesh to flesh, bone to bone, mouth to mouth, loving. As they climaxed for the second time, the afternoon turned to dusk and still Kate had not returned.

Before Elle had reached the cages, Juliet had already reached her destination, Kate in tow. Opening the damp, steel door to the aquarium, she ushered Kate in, turned on the hallow green lights and turned on the intercom. Speaking into it, she addressed Jack.

"I thought you'd like to have a few moments alone."

Taking off Kate's hemp bag, her tresses matted to her face, some waves cascaded against her cheeks, Kate's dark eyes raised slowly to adjust to the light. Jack ran to the glass partition, pressed his palms flat against it, and leaned his forehead to the glass. With a soft, slow, breath, his whispered her name.

"Kate."

"Jack," she sighed, relieved to see him, unharmed, "oh, Jack."

Her voice wavered, she was never one to allow her voice to show her true feelings. She avoided his eyes for a brief moment to gather herself. Inhaling, long, and a bit exaggerated, she tucked strands of hair behind her ears, pursed her lips, and greeted Jack once again.

"I had to see for myself…," she began.

"I'm fine Kate, really," Jack stated, voicing his concern for her.

"Did they hurt you?"

Kate, thought back to her walk over and winced in memorable pain as Juliet's elbow jabbed her side. Not wanting Jack to see her vulnerable, she reassured him that she was fine.

"No, no," she tried to fight back tears, but where were they coming from?

"Kate," his voice strong and insistent, "what is it?"

"You have to do the surgery, Jack."

Flabbergasted that she knew about the proposition from Ben, he stared at her, his mouth open, his eyes wide.

"I'm not doing it, Kate," his answer was final.

Kate began to cry, uncontrollable tears, fear for Elle, but more so, that she'll never see Jack again, she began to sob. She pressed her palms against the glass, mirroring Jack's own. How she longed to feel his warm hands on her own skin, she balled her fingers into a fist and beat on the glass. Jack could see that Kate had reached her breaking point and desired to hold her in his arms. He beat back, demanding to know why she was so upset.

"_What did they say to you!" _

"_Did they threaten you?"_

Breaking through her sobs, she shook her head in defiance.

"They…," she tried her best to take deep breaths.

"They _what, _Kate," he shouted, "_damn it, tell me!"_

"_They're going to let Elle die!" _she shouted, her words ricocheted off the glass partition, hitting her back in the face.

Hearing those harrowing words, he braced himself, emotionally. Who were these people that they would let a pregnant woman die just to prove a point? Do they think I am an idiot, a pawn in their little game that I would fall for this? He stared at Kate; silence separated them, beyond the thick glass. What if they are telling the truth, he asked himself. Could I allow them to _let her die_? He was torn, between saving Elle and her unborn child, and holding his ground. It should be so easy, he berated himself. He was angry about the position he was in, that he took it out on Kate. He wanted so much to beat Ben's face until it was bloodied and bruised, but instead he screamed at Kate.

"Enough!" he shouted, looking up to the camera.

"Get her out of here!" he demanded, "I don't want to see her!"

Kate stood in shock. Why was he acting this way?

"_Jack_!" she shouted, "_Please!" _ Begging him was her final option.

"You have to do this, for her," she paused, "_for me_!"

Turning his back on her, he heard her pound the glass, he heard the door open, and Juliet switched off the intercom. He heard Kate's sobs and pleas echoing off the aquarium walls as she begged him to do the surgery. Slowly he slid to the floor, his back up against the wall. He brought his hands to his head, grazing his hair with his manicured nails. Scratching back and forth, he played over what had just happened, like an old movie, the scenes flashing before his eyes. In that moment where he saw both Kate and Elle, their bodies limp and soulless, as if they had been killed and left just for him, he made his decision. _I'll do the goddamn surgery_, he vowed, _yes, I will…_

_I promise I will leave them wishing they didn't use my friends for their own benefit. _He began to plan his motives of action, debating just how much time they would need to find a way off the island, to run, swim, and fight for their lives. I'll give them an hour head start, he finalized, knowing precisely what he would have to do to Ben to give them just that: _an hour head start. _Recalling his conversation with Elle, his words rang true.

_There is a moment in life where circumstances supersede oaths_.

Chapter 12

Sawyer was the first to wake up as the sun warmed his face, bringing him back to the hollow reality that they were still stuck in a cage. He reached for the sky, inhaled the cool morning air, and looked down on Elle as she slept soundly, her curls tracing her face. From down the beaten path he heard voices and he jostled Elle awake.

"Elle, hey Elle," he shook her shoulders lightly, "we've got company."

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, arched her back, and slowly got to her feet. Flipping her head over, she tossed her curls and threw them back into a loose ponytail. Reaching out for Sawyer's chiseled waist, she curled her fingers into it and pulled herself nearer to him. Tracing his spine with her hand, she regrettably reached down to the earthy ground and handed him his wrinkled shirt.

"Might wanna throw this on, cowboy," she teased.

"Afraid they may like what they see?" he joked back.

Elle looked at him as if to say, who are you kidding, and peered out from the bars of the cage. She gasped when she saw who was coming their way. Juliet and Kate were walking back, Kate's hands were cuffed behind her back, and Juliet had a solemn look upon her face. Kate's eyes were downcast as they made their way over to her cage. Juliet looked over towards Elle and Sawyer and greeted them.

"Long night?" she asked them, her eyes hiding behind the mischievous tone in her voice.

Ignoring her remark, Elle vied for Kate's attention. Calling out to her, she kept Juliet in her peripheral. Elle was wary of Juliet's intentions, no matter how much she may say she was the only one who could save Elle's life; she just didn't trust the bitch.

"They took you to see Jack," she asked her, "didn't they?"

Kate didn't say a word, her eyes were bloodshot and she crouched down in the corner of her cell. Refusing to show her weakness, refusing to show Elle that she wasn't able to defend her, Kate sat there, shrunken into a ball of human angst, shaking her head. Juliet slowly smiled at Kate's situation but quickly masked her content as she faced Elle. Disconcertingly, she shook her head, almost as if she was disappointed.

"Seems their meeting didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped," she tsked, spittle sprayed from her lips.

"In all honesty," she furrowed her brow, "you appreciate honesty don't you Elle?"

"Git on with it," Sawyer barked, the mere presence of the fertility doctor drove him mad.

"As I was saying," she was practically humming, "I had hoped she was successful in getting Jack to do the operation."

She turned on her heel and began to walk away, not without her final words smoking their way towards Elle and Sawyer.

"For your baby's sake," she proceeded to trail off further, "for all our sakes."

Elle screamed after her, cursing her for her broad speculations that left much to the imagination. For all Elle knew, Juliet was the puppet master in all of this, or worse yet, she was the puppet, her motives being played out by someone quite larger and more evil than she could ever be. They couldn't be sure if Juliet wasn't just a pathological liar, playing whatever card she was dealt, or if she was, for a lack of a better phrase, dead wrong. All the time Elle hollered after her, long after her shadow had turned the corner, Elle's hand palmed her belly, with Sawyer's resting firmly upon her own. The blackened sky began to open up and from the mouth of the clouds came pouring, torrential rains. They drowned out Elle's screams. Feeling defeated, she fell back into Sawyer and buried her head into his chest. He caressed the small of her back and lightly tapped her shoulder bringing her attention to the still, quiet Kate.

"Hey'a Freckles," he attempted using his familiar and endearing nickname for Kate, hoping it would spark something that had deadened in her. She never attempted to raise her head. He tried again, this time, demanding her attention.

"You deaf," he shouted, "or just feeling sorry for yourself?"

This sparked something in Kate all right, for she slowly raised her head, her blood shot eyes, outlined the once glassy and beautiful blue, but Freckles wasn't anywhere to be found. Pure hate emitted from her eyes, a hint of sorrow, a helping of defeat crept through the thin, red, veins. Through gritted teeth, she answered him, causing alarm in Elle and him alike.

"I never asked for any of this," she shouted, her hands balled into tight fists, her hair soaked and matted to her face. She slowly got up and walked over to the bars of the cage, grasping them tightly, never taking her gaze off her friends.

"I never asked for any of you," she began to ramble on, "never once asked to be someone, to care for anyone, I'm selfish, and I always was."

"Kate," Elle began, but she was cut off.

"I'm not finished!" she shouted.

"I run, Elle," she stared at her friend, "_that's _what I do, I use people, I lie, I murder, I run, and run and run…"

"This time isn't different," she slowly smiled, "but what I'm running from and running toward are two different things entirely."

"This time, I'm running _for you, with you, beside you_, whether you like it or not."

"We're in this alone, just the three of us," she choked back a tear for Jack, "and tomorrow we run."

"Well, I'll be damned," Sawyer sang, "Freckles got herself a new bag!"

Elle didn't know what to say. She felt so damn sorry for Kate. She wanted so much to know what had transpired between Jack and Kate, but Kate never disclosed a morsel to sustain Elle's curiosity. Whatever the case may be, Elle was grateful to have this strong headed, stubborn woman by her side. With Sawyer to her right and Kate on her left, she never felt stronger, or safer. Things had to go their way. They just had to.

The next morning the sky was bluer than new and the ground had soaked up all the rain, the clay and dirt beautiful shades of reds and browns. Still, dread loomed over Elle as she watched Kate sleep and wondered just what had gotten into her last night. They were still rats in a cage. Yes, they could break out, but where would they go? How would they get off the island? Unless someone was going to hand them over a boat and send them on their merry way, they had another thing coming. While Elle paced the enclosure of her cage, she prayed, something she hadn't done in a long time, for an answer to their problems. Little did she know that her prayers were going to be answered, not by God, but by someone who thought he was just that.

Banging on the glass, Jack called for Juliet. She walked in, slowly, making his desire to talk to her, imminent. She does this to torture me, he thought to himself, and rightly so. She pressed the intercom button to speak and asked him politely what it was that he needed so badly.

"I need to talk to Ben."

"I don't think he has time to hear from you, Jack."

"He'll want to hear this."

Sensing that something had changed in Jack's demeanor, Juliet made her exit quickly, scurrying the halls to find Ben. Startling him, she alerted him to the fact that Jack had something important to tell him. Not wanting to get his hopes up, she never mentioned the surgery, or the possibility of it. Ben, solemnly made his way to Jack's, opened the door to his aquarium, and stepped in.

"Why, Doctor, I heard you needed to talk to me of something important."

"Yes, Ben," Jack smiled, "if you consider your life to be important."

"You mean…," Ben was utterly speechless.

"I'll do it," Jack stated, "but I want something in return."

"That's only reasonable," Ben promised.

"I want off this island!"

Removing his glasses from the bridge of his nose, he wiped them clean. Before replacing them, Ben took his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Done."

"Just like that?" Jack asked, incredulously.

"Just like that."

Together, Jack and Juliet prepped Ben for the surgery. Watching from the picture glass above the surgical table was Tom and Pickett, waiting anxiously as Jack made the initial incision. Having Ben count down from 10, Jack administered the anesthetic. Hearing Ben slur his numbers, until finally he was out, Jack went about his surgery like it was another day back in the hospital. Eyeing his suspiciously, Juliet aided him with the occasional gauze pad or suction. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the fear and counted to five.

_One_…he thought of Kate, how he had deceived her, unintentionally, how he ached when she looked at him with such hatred, such disbelief. _Two_…he thought of Elle, the life of her baby at stake; how this was his chance to save them both. _Three_…he feared that what he was about to do would not only give them a chance to break free, but it could also mean that he was setting them free just to be shot and killed. _Four_…he hoped he was giving them enough time. _Five_…he released his fears, what good they were to him now? Slicing an opening in Ben's kidney sac, the monitors began to buzz, indicating that Ben's life was literally on the line. Turning to face Tom, Jack hollered for his walkie talkie. Tom stood there, horrified; the Doc didn't just do that, did he?

"Can you hear me?" Jack yelled.

"Yea…yes," Tom stuttered, "yes."

"Good, now listen. Your Ben here has about an hour to live, so you need to do as I say."

"Bring me your walkie, Tom," Jack watched as Tom just stood there, "damn it, now, Tom!"

Tom ran to the operation room, opened the door, and stood in the presence of a scalpel-wielding doctor who had the life of Ben literally in his hands. Asking him to call over the walkie, he told Tom that whoever was near the cages that the walkie had to be handed over to Kate. Tom, knowing that Pickett had gone to the cages on a mission of his own, would be there right at that moment.

"Danny," Tom had terror in his voice, "Danny are you near the cages?"

"Yeah, Tom," static was coming over the walkie, Jack could hear Elle screaming in the background."

"Hand your walkie to Kate," Tom told him.

"Tom, I'm a bit busy here."

"Danny, just do it," Tom shouted, "if you don't, then the Doc here is goin' to let Ben die."

"Jack?" Kate's voice came over the walkie talkie.

"Kate, listen to me," Jack began. He could hear Elle sobbing in the background, Sawyer yelling back at her. Kate was trying hard not to cry, but he could sense that something was off. Was he too late?

"You remember what I told you on the beach?" he asked Kate.

"You remember what story I told you when you were stitching me up?"

Stuttering a yes, Jack told her that they had about an hour head start before they came looking for them. Insisting that they run, Kate sobbed that she couldn't leave Jack behind.

"When you are safe," Jack sighed, "you radio me and tell me that story."

"I won't leave you," came faintly over the radio.

"Yes, Kate you will," Jack shouted, pressing the call button firmly with his thumb.

"The three of you," he told her, "get out of there."

"Jack…," static filled the air once again.

"Kate, damn it," he ordered her to do the one thing she wanted to quit, "Run!"

Chapter 13

The cages were being soaked by more torrential rains and Elle's screams were drowning out Jack's message over the walkie. Kate was frantic, hell, she was frazzled. Pickett had a gun to Sawyer's head, execution style and Elle was pinned against the cage by an _Other._ Kate too was being held at gunpoint, but the henchman wasn't too bright and when Jack's voice came over the walkie talkie, Pickett ordered him to let Kate free. Kate looked toward the walkie and hesitated; was it really Jack? Or was it a ploy to get her attention off Sawyer's impending death. She looked toward Elle. She couldn't tell if Elle was crying or it was the rain, but she knew she was in such raw emotional turmoil. They had her pinned against the cage, facing Sawyer's back. Pickett had ordered her to watch him die.

"Kate," came the voice, "Kate, are you there?"

She looked to Elle again. Elle looked at her and her eyes read, _this is our chance,_ but her face still looked worn and beaten. Bracing herself, Kate pressed the receiver and answered. She was relieved to hear his voice. Jack proceeded to tell her what he had done to Ben and that he was giving them an hour head start. She had to promise him one thing; to reiterate a story he had told her their first day on the beach. She pleaded for him to join, but he refused, insisting that they run. His voice, angelic yet static like, came over the airwaves.

"You have to get Elle and Sawyer out of there!"

Pickett was distracted by the conversation over the walkie talkie and at that precise moment, Elle had overtaken her captor, elbowing him in the gut causing him to keel over sideways, thus giving her the advantage to thrust her palm upward into his nasal cavity. Hearing the commotion, rather the victory behind him, Sawyer sideswiped the gun aimed at his head, bent Pickett's arm in a compromising position and threw him toward the cage. Bashing his head into the feed button, Pickett was shocked and left to wallow in the muddy waters. Locking the cage door behind them, Sawyer picked up Pickett's gun, threw it to Elle who just as easily threw it back. Holding up a gun of her own, she grinned.

"He never saw it coming."

Embracing her in a quick kiss, he was practically gloating.

"That's mah girl!"

To their immediate right, Kate was busy taking over her own captor. Swiftly jabbing her heel into his foot, she elbowed him in the face, knocking him onto his ass. She held onto the walkie with all her might and rushed over to Elle and Sawyer.

"We have to move!"

The three of them, with Kate in the lead, ran through the brush, leaves rustling underfoot, thorns and limbs, scraping their arms and foreheads as they ran head first, with no set destination. Running for what appeared to be a mile, they stopped to catch their breath, taking coverage behind a tree, its bark brittle, its trunk, massive. A gunshot rang out and a piece of bark zipped past Elle's ear, tearing some epithelial off.

"I knew it was too good to be true!" she spat, dodging another bullet, wiping a spot of blood off her ear.

"This way," Kate urged them on.

Shooting back into the brush, Sawyer covered the two women as they trudged out of the jungle towards what they could only hope was the beachfront. Sinking low behind some bushes, Sawyer cussed as he emptied the last of his magazine into the air, firing blindly at their pursuers.

"Sonofabitch!"

He looked downcast, as if he had let down his two female cohorts. His protective side, his bravado had kicked in, and he wasted the last of the bullets. Elle could see the disappointment in his eyes and whispered across the way.

"It's okay," she offered a pitiful smile, "I've still got mine."

"Jack," Kate called into the walkie, "we need a boat!"

A bullet ricocheted off a nearby rock, hitting the walkie out of her hands.

"Damn it," she punched a tree, "we have to keep moving!"

A painful moan came from one of their pursuers as they were hit in the face by an unknown object, catapulted through the air. A young woman, her hair dark and wild, shouted towards them. Elle recognized her as the young woman who she had threatened while they were shot with darts. Who was she? Why was she helping them?

"Quick," she urged them, "follow me!"

They looked at one another, only briefly and they ran towards her, gaining speed until she ran into a thick brush, pulling them down with her. Her eyes were large and her breathing was erratic, her slingshot hung from her back pocket. She urged them to be still and quiet, as she lifted a makeshift earthen door, shoving them into a ditch, beneath the earth. Their presence was unknown to their pursuers, as they heard Pickett and another man heading off in the opposite direction.

"Well, lordy lordy lordy," Sawyer guffawed, "if it ain't own own lil Sheena!"

"I remember you," Kate whispered, "you're Alex."

"Alex?" Sawyer asked, "You mean, Frenchie's…" he was cut off by the solemn look Kate gave him.

Alex didn't pay them any mind; she was waiting for the sounds of the men to fade off into the distance. She slowly lifted the trap door and peered outward. Sensing that the coast was clear, she motioned for them to exit.

"You don't have much time," she offered, "you have to head toward the beach if you want to get back home."

"Well, unless you have a boat in that pocket of yours," Elle's tone dripped sarcasm, "we're shit out of luck."

"I do," Alex offered, "just not here. It's on the beach."

"It's yours."

"What's the catch," Sawyer quipped.

"You're good people," she was barely audible, "he's crazy."

"He, who, pipsqueak?"

"My father," she looked him coldly in the eyes, "Ben."

"Hell, if the prodigal daughter here wants to help us out…" he pulled Elle close.

"Take us to it," Kate demanded.

They ran towards the beach. To their astonishment, there was a kayak, paddles ready, hidden beneath overgrown ivy and brush. Alex, requesting Sawyer's help, pulled the kayak to the water's edge and turned abruptly, dropping an oar to the sand. Sawyer, following her gaze, zeroed in on an irate, revenge seeking, Pickett. Gun drawn on Elle, Kate stepped in front of her, shielding her body.

"No, please!"

Tension was visible, Pickett's arm was shaking, and Kate's fists were clenched, while Sawyer stood off to the side, his disheveled hair, hiding his stony glare. Off to the side, from the inset of the jungle, came a voice, calling.

"Danny."

Turning only for a brief moment, Elle saw Juliet coming out of the jungle, a gun raised at Danny. Seeing this was her chance, Elle reached for the gun, snugly fit between her waistband and her back. Lifting the gun, under Kate's arm, for guidance, she aimed it towards Pickett. She didn't hear Juliet order Danny to lower his gun, that they had to let them go, because the sound of the gun going off, was deafening to her. It sounded as if two guns had gone off. But that couldn't be. Could it? Pickett's body hit the hard sand with a thud, his mouth open, in shock. Small smoke circles rose from Elle's gun and to her right, Juliet's gun was smoking as well. Walking towards them, she threw Kate a walkie talkie.

"But why," Elle asked, "why one of your own?"

"Jack." Juliet simply said, "Call him," she instructed Kate, ignoring Elle.

"Alex," Juliet motioned towards the young girl, "your father's not going to like this."

Reluctantly, Alex moved from Sawyer's side, nodded to Elle and Kate, and joined Juliet. Kate called over the walkie. Jack's voice, soothing yet hurried, asked her who had let them go.

"The fertility doctor," Kate told him, "Juliet."

"Elle and Sawyer?" he asked, "They with you too?"

"Yeah, Doc, the gang's all here." Sawyer hollered towards the walkie.

"Tell me." Jack simply demanded.

"What?" Kate asked.

"Tell me the story, Kate," he pleaded, "I need to know you're safe."

Kate began to tell him the story of their first encounter on the beach after the plane had crashed. As she recalled the tender moment, she pictured herself stitching Jack up, fear taking over her hands. She relayed the story, minute by minute, of how Jack had messed up a surgery and had let the fear in, but for only five seconds. Kate, embracing the story, with such raw emotion, sobbed into the walkie. Kate, too emotional to continue holding the walkie, her hands tremoring, handed the walkie off to Elle.

"Jack," Elle took the walkie with force, "Jack, we have to go."

"Elle," Jack sighed, "you promise you are all okay?"

"Yes, yeah, I swear," she told him, "what's going on?"

"Promise me something else, Elle," Jack pleaded.

"No way, Jack," Elle knew where Jack was going, "I won't do it."

"You have to," he begged, his voice trembling, "promise me you won't let Kate come back for me."

Kate's sobs came to a halt, she attempted to rush back to the walkie, but Sawyer held her back. Holding her to his chest, he consoled her, as Elle looked on, with sadness in her eyes. She was about to lie through her teeth, but she knew it was for their own good.

"I promise."

Handing the walkie off to Juliet, she ushered Kate to the kayak and Sawyer pushed them afloat. She shouted a thank you to Alex, never offering a salutation to Juliet, and turned to face Kate. Her face was stained with dirt and tears, her eyes were bloodshot.

"How could you do that?" Kate whispered.

Elle, smirking, took Kate's hands into her own. Didn't she know Elle at all?

"I promised him that I wouldn't let you go back there," she winked.

"I never promised to turn my back when you snuck off in the middle of the night, did I?"

Sawyer just laughed, which had a domino effect on the rest of them. As they paddled off, towards their own island, Elle looked back at the mini version and bit her lip. Lost in thought, she never heard Kate thank her or felt the wave that cascaded off the side of the kayak. What she did feel though, was a slight kick in her belly.

Chapter 14

Sawyer paddled for what seemed like hours when the sweet sound of his southern twang filled the salty air.

"Well, I'll be," he chuckled, "I'd know those pearly beaches anywhere."

"And you said I had no sense of direction, Freckles."

"It helps when the tides give you a push in the right direction," she jested.

"I can't wait to see everyone's faces when we show up," Elle laughed.

Kate became somber and quickly added,

"One man short."

As Elle helped pull the kayak up onto the beachhead, she turned to Kate and offered what consolation she could muster up. Telling Kate that it was Jack's decision to stay behind, he may have thought he could control and protect them from where he stood, but he didn't take into consideration how stubborn and free Kate was.

"He sure as hell forgot who he was bargaining with," Elle rolled her eyes, "when he asked me to stop you."

Kate had to chuckle, but she refrained from showing much emotion as she turned to face the miles of beach that lay ahead of them. Pointing to a ridge not far off, she motioned for them to head off East. Their camp should be about a half a day's walk. So, they trekked the beach for an hour and took a detour through the brush. The sun was bearing down on their backs and Elle had to stop at a stream to cool off. Ripping a strip of cloth off her tank top, she dipped it into the water and wiped down her brow. Flipping her hair over, she tossed her curls and piled them high on her skull, into a loose bun. Tying the damp cloth around her forehead, she stood up and turned around.

Sawyer was squatting against a fallen trunk and had his eyes glued to her. She wanted to instruct him that her _eyes were up here_ when she realized he wasn't starting at her breasts. She self-consciously tugged at her tank top, wishing she hadn't torn a good inch off, but it rode up over her slight bump. Rolling her eyes, she sat down next to him and rested her head for a moment.

"What's all that fussin' about?" he asked her, playing with his own tattered shirt lifting the flap to reveal his own chiseled abs.

"I hear if you rub the Buddha, it's lucky," she jested about her slightly rounded tummy.

"Hell, I need all the luck I can get," he reached out and lightly rubbed her stomach, unintentionally tickling her.

She flinched, giggling like a schoolgirl, and punched him in the arm.

"Quit it, cowboy."

Kissing her tenderly on the mouth, he whispered in her ear that he never would have imagined how happy he was to be back on their island. They sat, quietly talking amongst themselves as Kate waded in the stream, skipping rocks. Sawyer nuzzled Elle's neck and as her fingers were tangled up in his hair, she glanced towards Kate. Shaking his head, Sawyer dubbed what took place as some sort of sick Jedi mind trick. Without saying words, failing to blink, pledging to have one another's backs, Elle and Kate said goodbye and good luck. Elle watched as Kate retraced their steps down the stream's edge and disappeared like a shadow amongst the jungle trees. Like a ghost, her presence still lingered, but the physicality, her personality, her essence, faded into the oncoming mist.

"Hey'a Freckles," Sawyer called out, "when you're done playin' nature girl," but he stopped abruptly, realizing his remarks had fallen on deaf ears.

"What the…," he gave Elle a disapproving look.

Elle stood up and unconsciously tugged on her tank once again. Shrugging her shoulders, she told Sawyer that Kate would be fine. She told him that Kate was a strong, intelligent woman. Her tracking skills and ability to remain inconspicuous were amazing. She knew how to take care of herself, be it surviving the tough terrain of the jungle or getting physically fit, defending herself from their enemies.

"If anyone should go back for Jack," Elle offered, "it's her."

"Just like that?" Sawyer still couldn't believe that Elle would just watch her friend head back into direction of unfriendly fire.

"It's not easy, James," Elle was becoming agitated with his questioning of her actions.

"But, I'm not her mother," Elle quipped, "she doesn't need to ask my permission."

Picking out a large blade of grass, Sawyer placed it between his lips, chewing on the earthy cigarette. He muttered something inaudible in Elle's direction; his passive aggressiveness wasn't attractive to Elle. Walking off, with Elle lagging behind, she asked him to repeat himself.

"Gonna be someone's mother," he huffed, "maybe you should rethink your priorities."

"My priorities?" Elle stopped in her tracks, her voice echoed through the valley, and threw her hands up to the air. Sawyer turned on his heels and looked at her through his fallen hair.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

"What do you think I've had my mind on, this whole damn time?"

"I'd hardly know," his voice became a bit louder, forceful, "you stopped letting me in weeks ago."

She stood there, flabbergasted, that he had felt that way. Was he right? Did she push him away? She counted on her hand the number of times they were physical, yet the number of times they sat silent, distanced in their cage, and they outnumbered these. How could she tell him that her mind wandered constantly about the impending responsibility of motherhood, no, parenthood? How could she tell him that she was pretty goddamn sure that her first pregnancy hadn't gone as fast or had shown so much, physically? I mean honestly, she thought to herself, I shouldn't be feeling him kick, should I? Watching her stand there in silence, Sawyer brushed past her.

"Case in point," he growled.

Sighing, she watched as he walked away from her, reminding her harshly, of their first arguments…Sawyer leaving on the raft, Elle's inability to confront her own past, the list went on. Hadn't they grown up and past this juvenile behavior? She braced herself and began a slow jog to catch up to him. She almost ran into his back for he was standing atop the crevice of the valley. Staring out and down the plush green valley, she gasped. He turned to face her; his eyes had turned a steely green.

"Welcome home, Elle."

She watched as he reluctantly made his way down the hill, his hair billowing from the cool breeze. She hated watching him walk away. She despised the way he made her feel guilty for something she knew was viable. If only she hadn't closed herself off. My priorities, she laughed at herself, forgive me if the safety of our child and the fate of our relationship hang in the balance. Trailing Sawyer, she felt the baby kick again. A warning? You sensing that daddy is angry with your stubborn mommy, she found herself cooing and tapping her belly. She shrugged it off. Maybe it was just the proverbial kick she needed to get back to her life on the island. With or without the baby's father. As she caught up to him, she debated whether she should walk with or without him, but decided on the latter. Turning the corner, they arrived on their beach. Off in the distance, she noticed Sun washing clothes while Claire and Aaron sat at the edge of the water, laughing. She watched as their flight mates crowded around Sawyer, embracing him, welcoming him back. She whispered her salutation towards Sawyer.

"Welcome home, James."

She saw Hurley, waddling towards them, his smile so inviting. He picked Elle up in a bear hug. Claire, with Aaron under her arm, along with Sun, came running behind, laughing. More so, Claire looked relieved to see her best friend, returned safe and sound.

"Dude," he gushed, "I knew you'd make it."

"Dude," she laughed, "can I have my spine back?"

"Err…right," he blushed, "my fault."

Making room for Claire and Sun, Hurley found his way over to Sawyer. Elle glanced up as she saw Hurley embrace Sawyer, knocking the wind out of him. She laughed and quickly turned away as Sawyer caught her gaze. That was after they shared a small, troublesome smile. Elle hadn't felt this good in years. She couldn't remember the last time she was greeted so warmly and with affection. Pity it took a plane crash to find real friends, she pushed that thought to the shelves of her mind. Claire handed her Aaron, who cooed and spit as she tickled the bottoms of his cherubic feet. Noticing how Aaron rested easily on Elle's chest, she gasped, realizing how much weight she had gained in both her breasts and stomach.

"Elle, my God," she reached out and touched her stomach.

"I know," Elle sighed, "I thought it was just me."

"We'll talk," Claire promised her, "but first let's get you cleaned up."

"Yes," Sun agreed, "you look worn and torn."

"What about Sawyer," Claire asked with a twinkle in her eye, "you think he'd want to join you?"

"He's not so happy with me right now," Elle shrugged.

"Home sweet home."

They walked off towards her tent so she could pick up some clean clothes and as she grasped a tiny bottle of shampoo, she felt the baby kick again. Every time I associate something with Sawyer, she concluded. Our baby is so intuitive. She exited her tent and looked into his. He was nowhere to be found. Walking off with Claire and Sun, she was asked the question she dreaded to have to answer.

"Where are Jack and Kate?" Sun asked, worry in her voice.

"That's a long story," Elle sighed, "one I'll be able to tell as I soak a bit."

"If you two aren't busy."

"Busy?" Claire cried, "This is the most excitement I've had in days."

Hugging Claire again, Elle whispered in her ear.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

Chapter 15

As Elle walked towards the hatch, Claire, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news, nudged Sun. Sun, reached out, grabbed Elle's elbow, and gently pulled her around to face them.

"What's wrong?" Elle asked as she jiggled the shampoo bottle in the air.

"Elle, um, about that shower," Claire began as she furrowed her brow.

"Ladies, I've been marinating in blood, dirt, and sweat, quit stallin'."

"It's no longer in working conditions."

"You guys are pullin' my leg, right?" Elle asked, hoping that her friends were just pulling a prank. Her body ached for a hot, steaming shower. She hadn't felt this dirty since she murdered Sully.

"'Fraid not, hun," Claire played with her hair, winding it around her finger.

"That day you all got kidnapped? Des felt like playin' the hero and blew up the hatch."

"You remember him, don't you Elle?" Claire asked, pointing to Elle's scar.

Elle laughed aloud. They stared at her as if she had a momentary lapse in judgment. They weren't serious, were they, she asked herself. That damned Scotsman who was obsessed with the hatch and that piece of metal scrap of a computer, blew it up?

"Sonofabitch!"

Elle ran towards what remained of the hatch. Standing over a massive grave of iron, glass, and miscellaneous debris, she dropped to her knees. Her knee met something sharp and as she screamed from the pain, she pulled out a fork, a prong lodged in her knee. Rushing to her aide, Sun examined her knee and couldn't help but give Elle an amused look.

"What are you smiling about?" Elle spat, trying her hardest not to laugh.

"Well, look at yourself, Elle," Claire giggled, "can't you go a day without getting injured?"

The three women shared a laugh as they tended to Elle's leg. Here she was, free from torture, only to find her one safe haven, destroyed to smithereens. She thought back to her days in the hatch as she recovered from her gun shot wound. Smiling to herself, she recalled the day Sawyer was brought in, near death, and how together, they tended to one another's needs, physically and emotionally. Pulling the prong from her flesh, Elle tossed it towards the trees. Twirling the fork in her fingers, as she would have done a pen, she thought back to the day when Kate ran in with a fork for Jack, so he could test out the sensation in Elle's arm. Remembering Kate's childlike innocence as she shrugged "it was the best she could find" and Jack's reaction brought Elle back to present day. She wondered if Kate had made it back to Jack safely or not. She wondered if she had made the right decision in letting her go after all.

"Elle," Sun tapped her on the shoulder, "Elle, what are you thinking about?"

"Oh, Sun," her smile faded, "what have I done?"

Elle sat there with her friends, discussing the torturous moments that she had gone through, along with Sawyer and Kate. She answered their questions to the best of her ability, for she didn't have a clue as to what they were breaking their backs over, as they hacked away at boulders in the quarry as others would haul them off. Whatever it was, she told them, was something larger than their existence, of that she was eerily aware. Why were you three kept in cages while Jack was given better commodities, they asked her. With a small smile upon her lips, she regurgitated Jack's story for them, how Ben needed him to perform surgery, how he was hand made food, while she was stuck eating fish biscuits with the others. She told them of her moment of weakness, where Juliet, promised to save her life and the life of her baby, but she was injected with something. For all she knew, she told them, it was the opposite, in fact, look at me, she guffawed. Claire sat there, her eyes large and glassy with tears, knew all too well, the effects of being injected by an _Other_ and how the safety of Aaron was put at risk.

"I don't like this, not for one minute!" her voice was tense, her fingers fluttered in the air.

"Look at you Elle," she furrowed her brow in shock and awe, "your belly!"

"Is there any chance that you're more than three weeks?"

"Well there was that day in the jungle with Sayid," she laughed as Sun's jaw went slack.

"There isn't a chance in hell," she said with finality in her voice.

"I don't know what is going on with me," she tapped her belly, "but I do know that whatever Juliet has planned, it has to do with this baby."

Claire and Sun weren't shocked at this revelation. Sun was just as skeptical of the others as anyone on the island. What she experienced that day on the boat when she went along with Sayid and Jin to find them, what she had done, she shuddered at the thought. Elle sensing something was wrong, inquired. Sun kept her eyes on the ground, her voice quiet and sorrowful.

"I shot one of their women," she raised her eyes, "they are not what they seem."

"No, Sun," Elle agreed, "no they're not."

The three women walked off, with a hobbling Elle between them. She instructed them where to turn down a beaten trail and where they ended up brought back many memories for Elle. Standing in front of the warm spring, its water flowing over giant boulders, she lifted her face to the sun and thought of Sawyer. Wondering where he had gotten off to after they arrived back, she slowly undressed and approached the water with apprehension. Claire sat down at the water's edge and dipped her feet in; the foaming water tickled her toes. Sun, too, sat with Claire as Elle swam to the waterfall and began to shower as best as she could. To give Elle some privacy, both women laid on their backs, the sun warming their faces. As time passed, Elle made her way over to her friends and put on clean garments. It felt so good to rid herself of those awful, bloodied, and soiled clothes. She loosely braided her hair and tied it off at the ends; tiny wisps of curls fell onto her face, dried quickly by the sun, sprung into life. Turning to face Claire and Sun, Elle stood determined; her shoulders rounded back, her hands on her hips.

"Time to find my man," she cocked her head to the side.

"Any idea where he's gone?"

"I'm sure you'll find him along with my husband," Sun suggested.

She told Elle how Hurley had "found a car" and Jin agreed to help him. They trekked off into the jungle hours ago and hadn't returned yet. Sun made it known that she overheard Sawyer berating Charlie and Des for ransacking his stash. She had watched him walk off towards the jungle right around the time they left for the hatch that no longer existed.

"Well," Elle huffed, "hopefully he's too angry with them to remember why he's so upset with me."

"Why is he," Claire asked innocently, "so upset with you anyways?"

"Walk with me," Elle thumbed towards the jungle, "it's a long story."

Claire rolled her eyes. Laughing, Elle playfully punched her arm.

"I know, I know, how many stories do I have?"

Sun wanted very much to tag along with the girls but told Claire she'd go back to the beach and watch Aaron if she wanted to go with Elle. Grateful for her, Claire and Elle walked towards the jungle and stumbled upon an unusual sight. Standing over the engine of an aged, steel blue hippy van, Hurley and Jin were arguing back and forth, Hurley's hands animatedly flying and pulling at his wiry hair, while Jin's English lacked, and his frustration flourished. They failed to notice Elle and Claire's presence. Elle could hear Sawyer chatting up Charlie from the rear of the van and she walked towards the driver's seat window and rested her hand upon the steering wheel. She winked at Claire as she pressed down on the horn, its earsplitting chord striking alarm in the four boys who were tinkling away at their latest toy. Rushing to the side of the van, Sawyer stopped in his tracks as he saw Elle propped up against the driver's side door, a sly smirk on her face.

"Bloody hell, Elle," Charlie barked, "are you trying to give us a heart attack?"

"Damn woman," Sawyer mumbled, "easy does it with the sneak attacks."

"So which one of you is Shaggy?" Elle quipped, referencing Scooby Doo and

The Mystery Machine.

All eyes fell upon Sawyer who looked at them cluelessly.

"What?"

"Dude," Hurley laughed, "the hair."

"Aww go to hell," Sawyer pushed passed them and headed into the van.

"So, how's the engine?" Elle asked as she made her way to the rear of the van.

"Dude," Hurley called out, "the engine's up this way."

Blushing from her faux pas, she mumbled something sarcastic and made her way back towards Hurley and Jin who were still examining the contents under the hood. Sawyer was rummaging through the van and found himself chuckling as he heard Hurley correct Elle on the mechanics of an automobile. Women, he mumbled, just loud enough for Elle to hear.

"Say again, cowboy?"

Rummaging through the back of the van, Sawyer screamed.

"Sonofabitch, what's a head doing back here?"

"Oh, that's just Roger," Hurley stated nonchalantly and went back to work on the engine.

Elle, laughing at the stunned look on his face, rolled her eyes towards Claire who couldn't help but giggle. Stumbling upon some old papers, tea stained in age, he ignored the two poking fun at him as he shouted something regarding the Dharma people and their plans on building a dirt road. Letting out a high-pitched squeal, Sawyer jumped out of the van and ran his hands through his gritty hair. Tossing a case of stale beer onto the dirt floor, he smirked towards the others.

"Now we're talkin'."

Elle rounded her way towards Sawyer as he was about to pop open the tab on a can of beer. Hurley commented on how old the beer must have been and warned Sawyer that it was probably liquid poison by now, but Sawyer ignored him. Elle stared at Sawyer as he brought the can to his nose and inhaled. Rage was boiling in her veins and she was about ready to explode.

"Phew, it's flat and it stinks," Sawyer's lips spread into a wide grin, "tastes just as bad."

Knocking the can out of his hand, she gritted her teeth as he stood there with a cocky grin on his face. They stood facing one another not saying a word. There wasn't a sound to be heard around them. Hurley and Jin stopped tinkling around with the van and Claire and Charlie were off to the side, sneaking in a few kisses while no one was looking. Sawyer bent down to retrieve a fresh, yet older, can and before he knew it, Elle kicked it out of his grasp. He wasn't in the mood for one of her games, but he wanted to see just how lucky she was if he made a third attempt. He slowly bent down and squatted over the case and as he hovered his hand over a can, tempting Elle to beat him to it, he was surprised to find that she didn't make a move. Feeling triumphant, he flicked open the tab and brought the can to his lips. Reveling in its stale and bitter taste, after all, it was still alcohol, he didn't notice that Elle lifted the case of beer and began to walk off with it.

"Whoa, whoa," he dropped his half drunken can, "where the hell do you think you're going with my beer woman?"

Claire and the others stood watching as Sawyer chased after Elle and his case of beer. What a pity, Claire thought to herself, he has no idea what he's gotten himself into, the poor guy. Blimey bloke, Charlie laughed to himself, that crazy woman's really going to let him have it. Jin called out in Korean; the only words comprehensible were Sawyer and trouble. Hurley mesmerized by the mechanics of the van, didn't notice the sideshow that was taking place.

"This has to work," he whispered as he fiddled with the key, "this just has to work."

Turning the key, the van spat, sputtered, and hissed as it refused to turn over. What is that sound, he furrowed his brow, it was as if the van was screaming at him. Turning the key again, he heard it, this time it was louder. Staring out the windshield overgrown with ivy, he came to the realization that it wasn't the essence of the van speaking to him through the rotors; it was Elle and Sawyer in a drag 'em in, toss 'em out verbal battle.

"You lecture me on priorities," Elle shouted at Sawyer as she tossed a beer can at him, hitting him in the gut. He doubled over but quickly regained his composure.

"I don't put our baby first," she launched another can, this time hitting him in the shoulder. He grasped his shoulder in pain.

"I shut you out," she drilled a can nicking him in the shin.

"Maybe I should rethink my priorities," she laughed, catching him on the side of the head with another can.

"Maybe you should lay off the booze," she tossed another can. However, he caught it.

"Quit it," he growled, a small lump began to show itself on his cranium.

"All this time," she tossed a beer can over the ridge, "all I've been thinking about is this damn baby!"

Elle crouched down and cradled herself and she let out an exasperated sigh. Clenching her jaw, she refused to let the pain she felt, keep her from letting Sawyer know exactly what she felt. Watching her crouch in what he thought was a defensive stance, Sawyer stood back, timid, afraid she may hit him with another can if he got too close. Claire stood back and noticed that something was off in Elle's expression. She grabbed a hold of Charlie and nudged him.

"Something's not right, Charlie," she whispered.

"I'd say it is, Claire," Charlie laughed, "it's about time he bloody gets what he deserves."

"No, Charlie," she drew out his name, and pointed towards Elle, "look at her."

"Bollocks," he sighed and together they ran over to her.

Watching those two cater to Elle, Sawyer finally snapped to attention and realized she wasn't being defensive. God damn it, he swore at himself, why do I have to be such an ass? Hurrying over to Elle, he bent down and cupped her face in his hands.

"What is it?"

"You," she snarled, "you make him sick."

Sawyer laughed and corrected her.

"I thought I made _you_ sick darlin'?"

"Yeah, that too," she rolled her eyes as the pain subsided.

"Hold up," he smirked, "did you say _him_?"

"Just a hunch," Elle huffed.

Hurley and Jin started to argue again and they made their way over to the van. Jin was frustrated but stood firmly by his assessment. The van wasn't going to work. There was nothing they could do. Elle and Sawyer were off to the side talking about their priorities and Elle opened up to Sawyer about her assumptions about the baby, Juliet, and the injections. Sawyer admitted his faults to Elle, apologizing that he hadn't put two and two together. He did notice how much she had grown, but shallow as he was, he was too focused on her breasts to notice anything else may have been wrong. Hurley was furious. They had never seen him so determined.

"Take a look at that mess, Hugo," Sawyer shouted, "no way it's going to get runnin'."

"How thick are you?"

"Why don't you want this to work?" Hurley accused Sawyer.

"Hell, I don't care if it works," Sawyer chuckled, "why is it so important to you?"

"Because we can all use a little bit of hope," Hurley's eyes were near tears.

"If its hope you're lookin' for Ese, you're on the wrong damn island."

"Sawyer," Elle prodded, "c'mon, what's the harm?"

Relinquishing to Elle, Sawyer picked up what remained of the beer and lugged it back to the van. She does have a hold over me, he smiled to himself. Tossing it in, he gave her a stiff smile and told her he'd go easy on the beer, one step at a time. Hurley found himself praying in the corner and Sawyer caught him in the corner of his eye. Disgusted, he asked Hurley why he'd be praying. Elle nudged him again and told him to go easy on Hurley, even if it was a fool's errand.

"I'm praying for help," Hurley retorted.

"Hell," Sawyer grabbed a beer can, "I've got your help right here."

He tossed it over Hurley's head and it went rolling over the ravine. Hurley watched as it rolled down the hill and he smiled to himself. Elle noticed the change in his demeanor and walked over to him. She left Sawyer and Jin sitting in the van. Sawyer was teaching Jin English. Elle couldn't listen to Sawyer's fundamentals of women lesson any longer and found time with Hurley and Claire comforting. She stared down the hill with Hurley, who was frozen in some sort of heat trance and elbowed him in the side. She tossed a small rock down the side and watched as it rolled and gained a great amount of speed. A light bulb went off in her head and she started to laugh.

"Hurley," she nudged him again, "are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Heck, yeah," he laughed, "we're doing this."

"Guys," Claire asked, "what are you two up to?"

"We're going for a ride, Claire," Elle smiled, her dark eyes lit up.

"Pack it up fellas," Elle urged Sawyer and Jin, "either get in or give us a push."

"Shotgun," Charlie shouted, racing for the passenger seat.

"Are you nuts?" Sawyer held Elle back. "You're just gonna crash into those rocks."

"C'mon James," Elle pulled herself free, "when are you downer of the group?"

He stood there speechless. Didn't they just talk about priorities and the safety of their baby? She's mad, he thought to himself, and mentally kicked himself for sounding like Oliver Twist, the twit riding shotgun. He watched as Claire and Elle jumped into the backseat and pulled closed the door to the van. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to be a part of this, death ride. Some assistance he was, pushing his girl and their baby over the side of a cliff. Maybe it was the beer. All he knows is that when Hurley yelled for them to push, Jin and Sawyer did just that. They stood atop that hill, watching the van swerve in and around rocks, just missing a few trees, and surprising them all, he heard the van kick into gear and watched as Hurley maneuvered the van around two boulders. Jin and Sawyer ran down the hill and met up with the four in the van. Cheering and laughing, they hopped into the van, cramming into the backseat. Putting Elle on his lap to make room for Claire, she hugged him tightly. Whispering in his ear, he'd never forget those words.

"We all just need a little bit of hope, James."

Chapter 16

The next day Elle arose to commotion on the beach. Sitting up she rustled Sawyer awake and pulled on one of his button down shirts. He looked at her with his beautiful green eyes, which seemed to be begging her to sleep in, but she didn't pay him any attention. She jumped to her feet and with one word, she was out of the tent, Sawyer at her heels.

"Kate."

"What about her, Elle?" Sawyer asked as he fidgeted with the zipper on his jeans.

Stopping short, Elle noticed Hurley carrying what looked like a ping pong table across the beach, many of the survivors trailing him, animatedly talking and laughing as they helped put the table on four bins. Realizing that all that commotion had nothing to do with Kate and Jack's return, Elle kicked at the sand.

"Nothin'," she sighed, "I just thought…" as she pointed towards the others.

"That Freckles and the Doc were comin' around the corner?"

Swallowing a lump in her throat she mumbled a yeah and began to walk away from him. However, she turned around when she heard Sawyer talking to Hurley about the ping-pong table. Amused at the newfound island game, Elle thought maybe this was exactly what she needed to take her mind off Kate and Jack. Who am I kidding, she scolded herself, ping-pong can't appease my guilt. Nevertheless, she found herself standing amongst some survivors she hadn't had the pleasure in meeting.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Sawyer asked Hurley. This could actually be worthwhile, he thought to himself.

"It must've landed in the jungle when the hatch exploded."

"I thought that damn thing collapsed?"

"Dude, potayto, potahto, all I know is the sky turned purple and I stopped asking questions."

"So when do we get a game going on?" Elle inquired.

"When we get a ball," a blonde girl near Elle's age spoke out, "right Hurley?"

"Yeah, right, Nikki."

Elle nudged Sawyer and pointed towards the girl. Not to seem too inconspicuous, Elle turned her face towards Sawyer's feigning a kiss.

"Where the hell did she come from?"

"You got me," Sawyer answered her, stealing that kiss from her regardless.

His loving gaze quickly turned sour as he saw someone walking towards them, carrying a magazine and some toilet paper. Elle didn't recognize him either and began to question just how well she had gotten to know the other survivors and felt guilty about keeping to herself. Sawyer stalked over to the man and accused him of stealing his magazine.

"Hey Zorro," Sawyer called out, "that's my magazine, where'd you get it?"

"In the stack with the others," the man dubbed Zorro replied, "we share things now."

"Funny," Sawyer hissed, "I didn't know sharing included stealing."

Nikki jumped to the man's defense while she jumped down Sawyer's throat.

"Don't listen to him, Paulo," she cooed, "he's just heated because it isn't his anymore."

"Damn right, I'm heated, Toots," Sawyer laid into them, "ya'll stole my stuff thinkin' I was dead and buried."

"Hate to rub it in," Elle aided Sawyer, "but he's alive and kickin'."

"Best to just give his things back," Elle squared off against Nikki.

"Or what," Nikki countered smugly, "he gonna pull another con over us?"

Sawyer stared down Paulo and offered him a bit of advice.

"You better control your girl here."

Hurley jumped in, frustrated at the argument that had ensued. All he wanted was to bring a bit of fun and happiness to the survivors and here they had to go ruining just that. Pushing Sawyer and Paulo to the side, he offered a bargain.

"Listen dudes," he was out of breath, "why don't you play for your things?"

"Go on, Hurley," Elle prompted, "I like the sound of this."

"Okay, yeah," he nodded towards Elle, "here goes."

Hurley reminded everyone that yeah, sure, it was Sawyer's stuff, but technically, Sawyer claimed it all after the crash. Somewhere down the line, it wasn't his to begin with. However, since none of the dead were coming back to claim it, it was unfortunately, fair game. Sawyer was stunned. Was the big guy actually sticking up for him? Hurley continued. Granted, he told them, Sawyer was more talk than anything else, he knew he'd be fair and willing to compromise. Damn it, Sawyer grumbled, I knew it was too good to be true. Hurley asked Sawyer for a ball to play and Sawyer staked his claim. Nikki interrupted Hurley and turned towards Sawyer once again.

"Still, it isn't your stuff to bargain with."

"A, it was mine to bargain with when I took it. B, who the hell are you anyways?"

This caused silence to fall upon the castaways as they looked from Sawyer to Nikki and back again. Elle had been wondering that this whole morning, surely she wasn't the only one who had been. She couldn't bring herself to quietly laugh and did an awful job at covering it up by coughing into her hand. Sawyer continued.

"C, because I'm fair, like Hurley mentioned, I'll let you play me for it all."

"You want to play ping pong?" Hurley laughed.

"That's right, Avalanche. Put up your best player and when I crush them, you gotta bring me all my stuff."

"If you lose?" Paulo offered.

"I won't," Sawyer smirked, "but in all fairness, name it."

Sun was standing nearby and she winked at Elle before turning to her husband. They chattered amongst themselves and before Elle could stifle her laugh, she heard their proposition.

"No nicknames," Sun demanded, "for anyone, for a week."

Sawyer nudged Elle and waited for her opinion. Simply nodding, Elle couldn't wait to see the outcome of this game. Sawyer turned to the crowd and told them he'd be back shortly.

"Then, let the slaughter begin."

"Your boyfriend's a real jerk, you know that?" Nikki brushed passed Elle.

"Say that again when you're not walkin' away." Elle called out after her.

Nikki turned to face her and walked back to where she was just standing. She squared her shoulders and attempted to speak, but Elle cut her off.

"Listen, I don't know if you've noticed, but we've been through some awful sh*t the past few weeks."

Nikki just stood there, her mouth slack, her hands rested upon her hips. She nervously tapped her fingers against them as Elle continued to lace into her, verbal jab for jab.

"You may have stepped up while we were gone and I'm sure everyone here is grateful for your help," Elle turned her hip out and was talking with her hands.

"But before you go starting something you can't finish," Elle promised her, "you may want to curb your attitude."

"He may be a jerk," she referred back to Sawyer, "but that jerk's been to hell and back."

Elle jabbed Nikki in the shoulder and left her standing there with these final words.

"We've all been."

Nikki glanced down at Elle's stomach and smirked. Sure, Elle was intimidating, but come on, Nikki laughed to herself, look at her, she can hardly take care of herself, let alone a baby. Elle caught Nikki's glance and questioned her.

"Got something to say or has Paulo got your tongue?"

"You come back here minus two of us and what do you have to prove for all the so-called hell you've been through?" Nikki points an accusatory finger at Elle's bump.

"Seems you've dismissed the notion that what you may consider hell, some of us consider paradise."

"Is there a viable brain cell left in that skull of yours or has the bleach gone to town on it?" Elle spat.

"This," she pointed to her stomach, "this is a blessing amid the ashes but it doesn't come without a price."

"Honey," Nikki patronized her, "it's called motherhood, deal with it."

"Maybe you should think twice about having that kid before it turns you into a bigger b*tch than you already are."

"Are you kiddin' me?" Elle threw her hands up in disgust. She wants a fight, Elle dug her heels into the sand, and she'll get one.

"You should've kept walkin' Nikki," Elle clenched her fists.

"Puh-lease," Nikki mocked her, "we were better off without you."

"I wish you had never come back."

Charlie, Claire and Sun were watching as what began as a trivial catfight, seemed to take a turn for the worse. Nikki hadn't said much while the others were gone; in fact, she was more than willing to do what was needed to keep the island running smoothly, as if nothing had happened. Why the turn around? She's jealous, Charlie told them, it's so transparent, it's sickening. Do something, Charlie, Claire begged him, not for Elle's safety, for Nikki's. Elle took a step towards Nikki, who never faltered, never flinched. She stared at Elle as if she was daring her to throw the first punch. They stood at eye level. Charlie could have sworn he saw steam rolling from Elle's nostrils as they flared. Charlie did the only thing he could think of on short notice and whistled long and hard at Nikki just to distract her for a split second so someone else could take Elle out of the equation.

"You know what I could do with a girl with legs like your's, Nikki?"

Nikki caught Charlie's off-color remark and averted her eyes just long enough for Sun to pull Elle aside. Claire, huffed and cried out, pulling Charlie away from the girls, and gave him a mouthful.

"Oh, Charlie," she sighed, "that's definitetly _not_ what I meant by do something!"

"Right, sorry, Claire," he blushed, stealing a look over his shoulder back at Nikki.

"Charlie!" Claire slapped him upside the head, "Job's done."

Sun and Elle briskly walked off after the verbal altercation with Nikki and suggested that they go for a walk. It looks like you could use a little time to relax, Sun offered and together they walked away from the commotion and found a quiet spot down the beach. This is what Elle needed and she was grateful that she had Sun's friendship, but she couldn't shake the notion that it should have been Kate sitting with her on the beach. Still, she couldn't believe that Nikki would say such horrible things. After all they had been through, she didn't realize how hated she must have still been by some of them. She hadn't fully gained the trust of the others after her con with Sawyer, but what did it matter really? Those she held near to her eventually got over it and that's all that should have mattered. So why then, did Nikki's words strike such a bitter chord in her heart? She watched as the waves enveloped her toes and Sun spoke, snapping her back to reality.

"These _are_ blessings," Sun placed a hand over her stomach and then Elle's.

"But what is this price you speak of?"

Where's my head been, Elle smacked herself, all this time she had forgotten Sun was pregnant. She was there when Sun came asking Sawyer for a test. More importantly, she was there when they sat in a circle waiting the results. Kate had been there. Sun didn't want anyone to know until she was ready. Elle realized that Sun had been through a lot as well. She shot that woman on the boat to protect herself and her baby. A mother's instinct. Elle regrettably told Sun what Juliet had told them after she had collapsed while in custody of the _Others._ Elle didn't want to frighten Sun, but knowing she now had someone to rely on made her say what she did next.

"Do you know if you conceived before the crash?"

Sun, embarrassed for two reasons, neither she told Elle, just shook her head.

"No."

"Oh…"

Together they sat, in terrified silence, of their unborn children's fate.

Chapter 17

The next day no one was themselves. Sawyer found himself stuttering at the end of his rope, unable to use nicknames for a week. There were so many he could have used and they were eating away at his tongue, ready to be fired at the unsuspecting islanders. His morning began with Zorro's chica begging him for a gun. Denying her every advance and managing not to use any nicknames, she stormed off thanking him for nothing. Whatever you say, he mumbled and went back to his reading. Unable to concentrate, he tossed his book into his tent and stalked through the jungle to the one place he could let out his frustrations.

"Who would have thought it'd be so damn hard," he grumbled as he chopped away at wood.

"Talkin' to yourself again?"

The voice came behind him, quickly and breathlessly. There she stood, just breaking a sweat, a few strands glued to her face. He hadn't seen her when he woke up, for she had already gone on a run. She stared at him with her chocolate velvet eyes as he rested the axe up against a stump. Seems I'm not the only one who's been working out this morning, she smiled to herself. He sauntered over to her and pulled her in close for a kiss.

"How'd your run go, Br…"

"Elle," she cut him off, placing a finger on his lips.

"Say it with me," she teased, enjoying the look of frustration on his face.

"Aww, hell, cut it out," he playfully pushed her away, "I know your name."

"But when you look at me with those gorgeous eyes of yours…," he just winked at her.

"Still," she kissed him quickly, "I don't want to be your downfall."

"Too late for that," he jested.

Reaching down into a knapsack he had with him, he took out a water bottle and threw it her way. Taking a long swig of the cool water was just what she needed and as she recapped the bottle and tossed it back, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. As she watched Sawyer return to the wood pile, she rested for a bit, doing some light lunges and when her heart regained its normal steady beat, she propped herself against a large tree and proceeded to do upright pushups. Sawyer stole glances at her and shook his head. Nothin'll ever change with you, will it, he asked her as he split a large, dry log.

"Exercise is good for the baby," she lectured him, "plus, it's better for the both of us if I stick to a normal routine."

"Just don't over do it, ya'hear?"

"Yes sir," she mockingly saluted, "anything you say, sir."

"Oh git on with your run," he smirked, "wise ass."

Pecking him on the cheek, she began to jog off when he whistled out to her. Turning around she saw him toss a water bottle her way. Keep hydrated, he shouted, and with a simple nod, he turned right back to his work. Elle decided she would take a different route that afternoon and wound up near a clearing atop a grass-laden ridge. Scanning over the beach, she could just make out their tiny campsite, miniscule tents spotted the grainy beach, and if she squinted hard enough, the islanders, were scurrying around like little worker ants. She smiled as she spotted what could have been Hurley and someone else playing ping-pong down below. She turned her back on the web of jungle that she had emerged from and sat down facing the never-ending sky, the sun playing hide and seek amongst the clouds. Sitting with her legs stretched out into a rather lithe V she reached from one leg to the other, breathing in the air. It was different at this altitude, the air. It wasn't as salty as it was when she found herself jogging the shoreline. It was, however, denser and despite the open area, she felt a bit claustrophobic. She wasn't one to frighten easily, but after her stay on the other island, being alone this far from her safety net, didn't sit well with her. She heard something behind her, a twig cracked underfoot. Whose foot, she wondered, as she glanced over her shoulder. Nothing stirred in the trees and as she scolded herself for being paranoid, she turned back to her calisthenics. She heard it again, this time she leapt to a crouching position and brought her hands out in front of her, slightly clenched. Sweeping the perimeter, she noticed something or someone behind the cluster of berry bushes.

"Show yourself," she shouted, amazed at how steady her voice was, despite her shaky insides.

Slowly, almost menacingly, a woman stumbled out, her hands clutched around a small black bag. Her face was gaunt, almost as if she had been running for her life, her eyes, beady and blue, stared at Elle, hiding behind a rat's nest of blonde tresses. Elle recognized her and for a moment wanted to laugh at her appearance. She didn't, however, as Nikki approached her, a hand towards Elle's throat.

"Y-you h-have to h-help m-m-me," she stuttered, her words slurring as if she had taken a mini stroke.

"I," Elle deflected Nikki's hand, "don't have to do anything."

Nikki, frustrated with Elle's reaction, inched closer to Elle who had swatted her hand away for the second time as she attempted to make contact. Nikki attempted to shout, but her words slurred, her plea drawn out. Nikki grasped Elle's neck; her hand locked in and began to tighten as Elle tried to fight her off. Elle could feel Nikki's grasp tightening around her larynx and as she stared into the young girl's eyes, she witnessed fear, pain, and pure terror. Elle was nearing the edge of the cliff, unable to pry Nikki's hand off her throat. It's as if it's turned to stone, Elle told herself, the weight of Nikki's nearing body, weighing down on Elle's chest. Elle's heel reached the edge and she could hear a small avalanche of pebbles cascade down the cliff. Her foot slipped and she crashed to her knee as one leg went over the cliff. Nikki fell to her knees, her hand still grasping Elle's neck, unable to move as Elle hung halfway over the edge. Elle groaned in pain as gravel found its home in her shin. Honing her breath, Elle reached up and around Nikki's arm and latched onto her shoulders. Hoisting herself up with all her strength, she pried Nikki's hand from her throat. Nikki faltered and reached for Elle again, only this time Elle swung herself around and as Nikki's body went over the cliff, Elle hung onto her arm as she dangled stone like. Unable to speak more than a few stuttering words, Nikki looked up towards Elle, pleading for someone to understand her.

"P-p-pa," she slurred as spit slid down her chin, Elle couldn't make out the rest. It sounded like please, no, Elle shook it off, was she saying lies? Pa lies, Elle wondered, what the hell was that?

"Shh, shh," Elle whispered, her throat ached as she tried to speak, "it'll be okay."

Elle's hand was beginning to slip; she was losing her grip on Nikki, who seemed to weigh more and more as she hung lifelessly against the cliff. This is not happening, Elle thought to herself, as she felt around blindly with her free hand for something to grab. The ground around her was barren. Only shards of grass, no roots or vines, nothing, nothing but flattened earth surrounded her as she slowly felt Nikki sliding from her oil slick grasp. Elle could feel herself sliding closer to the edge as Nikki's body swung, a dead weight in her hand. Slowly, Elle's hold on Nikki's forearm, gave way, sliding towards the wrist as Nikki slid further from her clutch. Elle flexed her grip, trying to grab tighter, but there was something in Nikki's hand, obstructing Elle's ability to connect.

As Elle watched helplessly as Nikki fell to the beach below, her hand wrapped around something soft and velvet like. Elle couldn't muster a scream, her throat felt swollen and on fire. Rolling onto her side, she brought her hands to her chest and slowly felt her stomach. Sighing with relief as she felt her baby kick, she looked to her right hand, which was still holding the item Nikki refused to let go of, leading to her downfall. It was a small, pull string pouch and when Elle opened it up, she gasped. Spilling into her flattened palm, were tiny, clear-cut, diamonds. Throwing them into the air as if they had gone ablaze, Elle watched as they soared over the cliff, falling to Nikki's body, down below. Why did she do it? Perhaps it was the sickening feeling she felt in her gut, that Nikki would rather had died than give these precious stones up, or the fact that she couldn't save her. Elle watched as two people crowded around Nikki's body and she saw their faces as they looked up towards the top of the cliff. Hurley and Sawyer stared up at her, their hands to their foreheads, blocking out the sun. Raining down on them, were some of the diamonds and they quickly averted their eyes.

Elle made her way down to the beach and it seemed as if it took forever. She stumbled upon them as a crowd had gathered around Nikki. Sun noticed Elle first and nudged Sawyer who ran to her side. Noticing the ligature marks on her neck, he clearly saw what seemed to be a handprint, Elle's neck swollen and scratched. He looked from her to Nikki's dead body and returned his gaze upon her.

"What the hell happened?"

"Nikki," Elle gasped, "she attacked me…we slipped…I tried to save her…"

"Who the hell's Nikki?" Sawyer asked her dubiously and as she pointed to the fallen girl, Sawyer's eyes widened.

"Well, I'll be…"

"Elle," Sun approached her, "what are these?"

"Give her some space," Sawyer growled, "can't you see she's hurtin'?"

Elle, shaking her head, answered Sun, not really knowing the story behind the diamonds. She came up to me, looking scared, Elle told them, but she grabbed my throat, I couldn't breathe. She had this in her hand. Elle showed them the little black pouch with the remaining diamonds. I tried to pull her up; Elle's voice was raspy, as if she had laryngitis. She said something…

"What did she say," Hurley asked.

"Pa-lies," Elle shook her head, knowing how silly it sounded.

Hurley repeated it aloud and nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized what Nikki's final words might have been.

"Paolo lies!"

"Who the hell is Paulo?" Sawyer again asked.

"Her husband, boyfriend," Hurley stammered, "he had your magazine."

"Well, where is he," Sawyer asked, "because if he lies, then that's one place to start."

"We can track him," Elle offered, "I can help."

"Like hell I'm gonna let you go out there," Sawyer hissed, "not after what she did."

"Sawyer, I'm fine."

"Look at'cha," he grabbed at his throat, "stay here with Sun."

Elle watched as Sawyer, Hurley, and Jin walked off into the jungle and when she turned around, she saw Sun covering Nikki's body with a sheet. Holding tight to the black pouch, Elle squatted down near Nikki's body and began to cry. She pulled back the sheet and leaned over Nikki's body, nearing her ear. Whispering, she placed the bag atop Nikki's breasts, crossing her arms over it.

"Was it really worth it?"

Chapter 18

Hours later, the men returned with the lifeless body of Paulo on a makeshift gurney of bamboo and reeds. Tossing his body with an emotionless heave-ho, Sawyer grumbled. Unsure of how and when Paulo had died, but pretty damn sure that the deceased woman next to him had something to do with it, he clapped the dirt from his hands.

"Rest in peace muchacho."

"Real sweet Sawyer," Elle overheard him, "he had a name."

"Been ov'r that already," he looked at her from beneath hooded eyes, pointing to Hurley.

"For real dude," Hurley seemed upset, "show them some respect."

Elle put a hand on Hurley's shoulder, giving him a tight squeeze. He gave her a weak smile and asked her how her neck was. Telling him she's been through worse, Hurley solemnly nodded in agreement. Guess we should bury them, he offered, right? Elle noticed the far away expression on his face at the mention of burial and she automatically thought to Libby. Not wanting Hurley to go through that again, she clapped him on the back and told him that she'd take care of it. As if he had read her mind, he thanked her and she watched as he waddled down the beach. Rounding up Charlie and Sawyer, they transported each body down to the hallow graveyard made of sand and stone. Sun carried the shovels and as they took turns digging, Charlie broke the silence.

"Ever have that feeling where you know you've been here before?"

"Déjà vu?" Elle offered.

"Aye," Charlie scoffed, "gives me goose pimples."

"We _have_ been here before, you twit," Sawyer grumbled.

He stabbed the sand with the shovel and stomped off, leaving behind a very stunned audience. Questions were raised as they continued to dig without Sawyer. Who would want Nikki and Paulo dead? Do you think Nikki did something to Paulo? Why was he found stripped to his skivvies? Do you think it was the _Others_, Sun asked.

"They did drag me into the jungle," she reminded them, "who is to say they wouldn't try something again?"

Charlie coughed at Sun's comment and his cheeks suddenly went from heated red to sickened white. He looked at a curious Elle who stopped shoveling and stood with her hands on her hips. Sun was still digging until Charlie coughed again, this time louder and directed towards her.

"Oy, Sun," his voice was barely above a whisper, "that wasn't the _Others_."

"I kidnapped you."

Sun dropped her shovel, scanning his face and then Elle's. Elle was speechless. She dug her nails into her hips and clenched her jaw. Sun noticed the fury in Elle's face and immediately asked Charlie to repeat himself.

"It was me who took you, not the _Others_. I wasn't myself."

Charlie proceeded to tell them why he had done what he did and that he wasn't alone in the plot. After Locke hit him, humiliated him, he told them, Sawyer told him he could get even by helping steal the guns. They made it look like the _Others_. With a tear in her eye, Sun walked away from Charlie and a shocked Elle.

"Y-you," Elle choked on the words, "it was you _and_ Sawyer?"

"Aye," Charlie nodded, "you had a part in it as well, if I do recall."

"I didn't have a hand in Sun's kidnappin' Charlie!"

Elle was raging. Yes, she had taken part in Sawyer's con, but if she had known Sun's kidnapping was a part of the plan, she would have never gone through with it. So infuriated at the thoughts that were battling in her mind, she knocked Charlie in the teeth.

"B-bloody shite!" Charlie reached for his mouth, blood dripped down his chin.

Elle marched down the beach to find Sun, leaving a stunned and injured Charlie in her wake. Elle couldn't find Sun, nor could she find Sawyer, who had skipped out on digging. Now I know why he did that, she thought to herself, that guilty bastard. Elle noticed Claire bathing Aaron and walked over to her. Claire immediately knew something was wrong and before she could ask, Elle spoke first.

"Have you seen Sun," she threw up her hands, "or Sawyer for that matter?"

"Sawyer stopped here a bit ago, asked how Aaron was," Claire furrowed her brow at Elle.

"Said he was going back to dig," Claire spelled out the last word, "the g-r-a-v-e-s."

As if Aaron could spell, he let out a bone-chilling wail at the top of his lungs and wrung his fists tightly around his mother's fingers. Claire hollered after Elle who went running back the way she had come. Trying to calm Aaron down, Claire hummed him her favorite song. To Elle's surprise, there was Sawyer, shirtless, full heartedly digging at the grave that they left unattended. She stormed over to him and pushed him; he lost his balance and fell into the grave.

"Have ya lost your mind?"

"I'm starting to think so, yes!" Elle shouted down to him.

"You," Elle tried to find the words, "Charlie…kidnapped Sun?"

"Aww, hell," Sawyer ran a hand through his hair, sand sticking to his sweaty tresses.

"Aww, hell," Elle echoed, "that's all you have to say?"

"Help me outta here, would'ya," he offered her his hand, "we'll talk."

She reached down and pulled him up as he grasped at the edge of the grave, hoisting himself up and over. Muttering a thanks, he spaced himself from Elle who looked like she could have spit fire. As he tried to explain himself, taking credit for the kidnapping, assisting Charlie in the scheme to make Locke look like an ass, apologized to Elle for keeping her out of the dark.

"But you heard her," Elle ran her hands through her hair and shook her head, "you found her!"

"You planned that too?"

His head hung low, he shuffled his feet, why was it only his mother and her could make him feel like such a rotten child. Her tone, he thought to himself, she's goin' to make one hell of a mother. He looked up at her, his eyes a shade of murky green, begged her to forgive him. He craned his neck as her hand came fast and hot, slapping him across the cheek.

"She's my friend, Sawyer," Elle spat, "my friend!"

"I deserved that," he winced and scowled as he saw Sun approaching.

"Elle," Sun nodded, "do you mind if I have a word with him?"

"Please," Elle threw a hard look his way, "have a few."

"Charlie told me," Sun said matter of factly, "that it was your plan to kidnap me."

"You gonna tell Jin?"

"No."

Asking her why she wouldn't tell Jin, after all, he deserved to suffer, he deserved to be punished.

"Because then we'd have to dig another grave."

Slapping him across the face as Elle had done previously, she walked away; a look of satisfaction curled her lips.

"I deserved that one too," he mumbled as he watched the backs of Elle and Sun fade off into the distance.

Chapter 19

Sawyer found himself sleeping alone, again, in their tent. He caught the sight of her, packing a few things, her pillow slung over her shoulder, as she made camp with Claire and Aaron. Charlie found himself kicked out for the night as well, which was fine by him. Last place he wanted to be was near an angry Elle and a disappointed Claire. Claire wasn't too happy finding out that he was the one that kidnapped Sun and by the tears in his eyes, Elle knew Claire's words were more hurtful and effective than her punch could ever be.

"Thanks," Elle chewed on the word a bit, "for this."

Claire was rocking Aaron asleep while she watched Elle make herself comfortable on Claire's impromptu bed, made of reeds and leaves. Elle punched her pillow a few times and when she looked over at Claire, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Who was it this time," Claire giggled, "Charlie or Sawyer?"

"Both," Elle sighed, "neither…heck, I really have a temper, huh?"

"They both deserved it," Claire frowned a bit, "unfortunately."

"Just when I thought the past was just that," Elle sighed dramatically, "it comes to bite me in the ass all over again."

"Funny thing about this island," Claire interjected, "nothing stays buried for long."

"That was cryptic," Elle laughed as she watched Claire place Aaron into his crib, "cryptic and deep."

"I overheard Locke tell Paulo that one night after we crashed."

"_Speakin' of cryptic_," Elle rolled her eyes at his name, "I wonder how he and Sayid made out."

"They have been gone an awful long time," Claire whispered, "haven't they?"

As Claire made her way into the bed, she noticed Elle staring off into the tarp's roof. Wondering what she was thinking about, Claire turned on her side and asked her about the baby. Elle didn't respond, she just sat motionless, staring off into the roof. Moments later, she quietly turned her head to face Claire's and whispered.

"I just have a feeling," she bit her lip, "that I'm holding something they want."

"I mean look at me, Claire," she pulled up her shirt revealing her Buddha bump.

"This isn't three weeks!" Elle brought Claire's hand over to rest on her stomach.

"And this!" she cried out, "This is _so_ not normal!"

Retracting her hand back in shock, Claire blinked twice. She hadn't just felt that baby kick did she? Thinking about the first time, she felt Aaron kick, Claire knew it wasn't at three weeks. _Gosh_, she thought to herself, _I barely had any idea I was pregnant_. Claire studied Elle's face as she tried to think of something comforting. She was coming up empty. The more she thought of the possibilities, the more frightened she became for Elle. It must have been transparent on her face, because Elle wrinkled her nose a bit, raising an eyebrow.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"How about a nickel," Claire attempted to lighten the atmosphere, "if I'm going to make a profit off them."

"Would you take mangoes instead," Elle asked, seeing how monetary transactions on the island were rather moot. Claire chewed on her lip for a moment.

"You _need_ to find out what they did," Claire said with a tenacity she rarely showed.

Startling Elle to a sitting position, she nodded in agreement. _I do need answers_, she told Claire, _you're right. _She raked her hands through her curls and fidgeted with one stubborn knot she had made in the process. _Question is, _she dropped what she was doing, _how do I get them?_

"I know a way," Claire raised an eyebrow and quickly turned her head. What was she doing? She was about to advocate that Elle find her answers any way she can, using whatever force necessary.

"What are you getting at Claire?"

"Think about it Elle, who is the one person you know that has those answers?"

Claire was right. There was one person who had the answers and she wouldn't think twice about wrapping her hands around her throat and strangling the information out of her. Unfortunately, she left her back on that island, along with Jack. She couldn't believe that of all people, Claire would suggest she go back there, to find out the answers. _Then again_, she corrected herself, _if Claire was in my position, she would have done the same. Then I guess that's it, _Elle looked to Claire with determination, _I have to go back and find Juliet. _Unable to sleep well, Elle's thoughts wandered back and forth about her imminent meeting with Juliet. Devising schematics in her head, Elle pictured the layout of that island, from her earlier stay. 

The next morning, Elle attempted to leave without disturbing Claire, but to her chagrin, Claire was already awake, feeding a wiry Aaron. _There goes leaving undetected,_ Elle bit her lip in frustration. Claire noticed her agitation and shrugged. _Tomorrow,_ she suggested. _It'll give you time to pack a few things. _

Hurley stopped by, bringing with him, a box of Dharma-O's, similar to Cheerios, two bowls, spoons and a jug of milk, he made from the powdered mix they had in the makeshift pantry. Two flowers were placed snugly behind either of his ears. Elle had her suspicions and asked Hurley just what exactly was he up to.

"Gee, Elle," Hurley chuckled as he poured their cereal, "can't a guy just like, you know, be nice?"

"Take it from me, Hurley," Elle said in between spoonfuls of cereal, "when a guy goes to this must trouble, he's up to something."

Blushing, Hurley just shrugged his shoulders and said whatever he was up to, was for the good of the group and to just _chill._ Choking on her milk, Claire laughed.

"Did you just tell Elle to chill?"

"Yeah, I know it'll be difficult and all, to like, relax dude," Hurley continued, "but let the big guy handle things today."

"I take it, you're the big guy," Elle winked.

"So I've been told," he laughed, "oh, I almost forgot…"

He handed each of them a wild orchid.

"Oh Hurley," Claire gushed, "thanks."

"Off to set my plan in motion," Hurley nodded and with that, he hobbled down the beach towards what looked like Sawyer's tent.

"Hmm," Elle nudged Claire, "I wonder what that's all about?"

"I wish I could hear what Hurley's saying," Claire squinted towards Sawyer's tent.

"I can only imagine what Sawyer's saying," Elle shook her head and turned her back.

As Elle watched Sawyer from a distance, she noticed him fishing for what had to have been the first time ever. Getting a kick out of the apparent difficulty he was having, she had to take the sight in. She noticed that Sun and Jin were fishing down the beach a bit and she made her way over to Sun and brought her some chum Claire and she had chopped up after their breakfast. Handing it over to Sun, Elle, and she just simply greeted one another with a nod and Jin thanked Elle. She commented on how well his English was getting and he pointed to his wife. _Great teacher._ Sun tilted her head towards Sawyer and Elle caught him looking over. Jin waved a hello and Sawyer seemed elated that he had returned his greeting. As quickly as he was overcome with satisfaction, he saw Sun and Elle give him disgusted scowls and he automatically ducked his head. Elle laughed and wished Sun and Jin good luck in their fishing and went back to the beach to check on Claire and Aaron.

That night as the warmth from the sun dwindled and left the air a bit chilly, Elle, Claire and Aaron sat around a small bonfire that some of their other mates had set up. Elle had an idea and she ran off to their "pantry by the sea" and searched through the shelves. Finding exactly what she was looking for, she grabbed the bag and headed back to the fire. Along her way, she detoured to the edge of the jungle and broke off some branches. Squatting down, she jiggled the bag in Claire's face and teased her with the marshmallows. Claire made a grab for the bag but Elle kept it out of her reach.

"Now, now," she laughed, "allow me."

As she skewed a marshmallow to the end of the stick, she handed it off to Claire who seemed to revel in the fire's light. A warm smile spread across her face as she roasted her marshmallow. Out of the corner of her eye, Elle caught Sawyer and Hurley whispering down a few meters. She noticed that Hurley nudged him, almost as if he was pushing him their way. To her astonishment, Sawyer reluctantly swaggered over, a blanket in his hands. Clearing his throat, he made his presence known.

"Hey Claire."

"Oh, oh! Hi there Sawyer," Claire's surprise said it all.

Sawyer waved a few fingers towards Aaron and greeted him as well. This made Elle roll her eyes and only made Claire laugh more.

"Hey…there…baby," he winced as Aaron began to cry, "I mean, Aaron."

Hearing this man's voice soothed Aaron and Sawyer shuffled his feet. He looked over to Elle and from behind a mass of fallen tresses, he clumsily greeted her as well.

"Hey." It came out strained and foreign, _God why am I such an ass_, he berated himself.

Ignoring his attempt at conversation, Elle turned towards Claire and began small talk. Claire could sense the tension and glared at Elle. With her eyes, she motioned for Elle to talk to him. Elle slightly smiled and mouthed a _no way. _Frustrated with her, Claire turned her attention to Sawyer and offered him a marshmallow. Taken back by her offer, he didn't know what to do. _This wasn't part of the plan;_ he looked over his shoulder to a Hurley that gave him a thumb's up. Stuttering he replied.

"No, uh, thanks," he handed her the blanket, "I just came by to give you this."

"I had extras and well, I don't like blankets."

Scrunching her nose up at him, Claire just shrugged and laughed at his gesture. Thanking him, she handed the blanket to Elle and asked her if she could unfold it for her.

"By the way," Sawyer mustered up some courage, "he doesn't look so wrinkly anymore."

Elle couldn't help but laugh this time. She tried her hardest to ignore his blatant attempts at conversation, but this time, she literally laughed wholeheartedly. Claire too, laughed and surprising them all, Aaron gurgled and cooed along with them.

"Well, no, no, he isn't, is he?" Claire laughed.

"Well, goodnight, then," he looked over to Elle.

Giving in to his wildly intense green eyes, Elle nodded.

"'Night James."

Chapter 20

Elle woke early; the sun was just stretching its rays over the horizon, as she kissed Aaron on the forehead and whispered a goodbye to Claire. Today was the day. She was going to find a way back to that island, back to Juliet, and get answers. If she had to take a life doing it, she'd be ready. She quietly made her way back to her tent, careful not to wake a slumbering Sawyer. Throwing a change of clothes, two water bottles, some fruit and granola into her backpack, she rummaged through their stash and found the 9mm. Cocking it, she checked how much ammo she had and threw the spare ammunition into her bag as well. Snugly fitting the gun into the back of her jeans, she squatted and caught her breath.

Sawyer had tossed in his sleep and was now facing her, his breathing less shallow. Waiting to make sure he was still asleep, she memorized his face. She imagined how angry he would be when he would wake up and search for her, unable to find her. She shuddered at the sight of him yelling at Claire who was the last to see her. How was it fair, she thought, for her to skip out on him, when the last thing she wanted was him to leave her? Kissing him lightly on the lips, she heard him groan, a smile's curl inched its way upon his lips. Grumbling, incoherently, she silenced him by telling him that she was going on a run. He turned over, taking her answer as the truth, and didn't hear her leave.

Elle made her way down the beach, towards the west, passing the sleeping survivors on her way out.

She passed Hurley's tent, the closest one to the edge of civilization. She was tempted to stop there, to tell him what she was up to, so Claire wouldn't have to take the brunt of it alone. She digressed. Skulking away from his tent, she took one last look at the islanders and turned the corner towards the jungle. By the rise in the sun, she knew she had been walking for about an hour when she heard voices. Taking her gun out of her waistband, she knelt behind the nearest bush and waited. It wouldn't be the first time that the _Others_ had infiltrated their camp. She knew they lived on the same island, that they were held captive on a different one. It was only a matter of days, Elle thought, that they would try something again. They never had it so easy. She heard a familiar voice, his thick accent, laden with contempt, addressed another familiarity. She had to have been imagining things. She leant towards the travelers and listened again.

"One day, one day soon, she will have to answer to us," Sayid promised a tired looking Jack.

"For now, she's under my protection," Jack countered, "she doesn't need to answer to you."

Elle was so relieved to hear the familiar voices that she put the safety back on her gun and placed it back into her waistband. Standing up slowly, she exited the covert hideout she placed herself behind and stood in the pathway of the passersby. Intentionally stepping onto some fallen twigs, they cracked under foot and as she knew he would do, Sayid instinctively swung back around, a rifle ready at his shoulder, positioned towards Elle.

"Elizabeth," Sayid slowly lowered his gun, "you should know better than to sneak up on weary travelers."

Rushing over to him, Elle hugged him tightly. What had gotten into her, she didn't know. She hardly spoke to the man, but his departure worried her. Seeing him, alive and well, she hugged him again.

"Weary my ass, Sayid," Elle laughed, "a trained soldier like you, is anything but weary."

"That is true, my friend," he smiled, however, as tired as he wasn't, he was altogether drained emotionally.

Jack watched as Elle hugged Sayid, wondering just why she was out this early, in the jungle. He noticed her backpack she threw to the ground as she rushed Sayid, and immediately questioned her.

"Going somewhere, Elle?"

Snapping around, Elle stared past Jack as she saw another familiar face coming around the corner. Brushing past Jack, she waved him off, saying where she was going wasn't as important as this. She knocked Kate over with a powerful embrace and the two laughed as Kate helped Elle up to her feet.

"Good to see you too," Kate said with a tear in her eye.

Elle was about to return the sentiment when out of the corner of her eye, she saw another figure, slowly emerge from the path. Before Jack had the chance to warn her, Elle had her gun aimed at Juliet's chest, stopping her in her tracks. Sayid had rushed over to Elle, quickly talking her down, failing to do so. She held it steady and with fierceness in her eyes, she glowered.

"This worked out better than I would have imagined."

With her hands raised in surrender, Juliet never took her eyes off Elle. Putting two and two together, Jack walked past Elle and stepped in front of Juliet. She was on her way back to find Juliet. Instructing Elle to lower the gun, she refused. This time, he shouted.

"Put it down, Elle," he growled, "now."

"So this is who you told Sayid is under your protection?" Elle pointed at Juliet with the nose of the gun, her free hand flying as she spoke.

"She's one of _them_, Jack," Elle inched closer, "why did you bring her here?"

"She's one of us now," Jack took Juliet's elbow and led her away from Elle's gun.

"Sayid...Kate?" Elle questioned them, watching as Jack led Juliet back towards her beach.

"We'll fill you in," Sayid frowned, "let us walk, please."

Kate and Sayid told Elle how the _Others_ had left them, gassed them, how they drug Kate and Juliet into the jungle, handcuffed to one another. Jack insisted that they take her with them. That she was _one of us_, because they left her behind as well. Infuriated, Elle couldn't get past just how lucky she was. They had brought Juliet to her. Kate asked her about what she had said earlier. Elle told her how she was on her way to find Juliet, to find answers. She lifted her shirt, revealing her stomach, and a slightly embarrassed Iraqi, raised his eyebrows in suspicion.

"You have come along way Elizabeth," he spoke for both himself and Kate.

"She may be under Jack's care," Elle scowled, "but this child is under my goddamn protection and I deserve answers!"

"You have every right to be upset," Sayid consoled her, "and you have us on your side."

Kate nodded in agreement. She didn't like the looks of Juliet. She didn't like the way Juliet looked at Jack. She despised the way he acted towards her, as if he and Kate didn't share something before they were kidnapped. Kate would do whatever Elle needed to assist her. Sayid promised the same. We must watch her, he whispered, for she is here to watch us, I can feel it.

"You think they left her here as a spy?"

"Do you really have to ask?" Sayid looked at her as if she was naïve.

"Let's get back to the beach," Elle offered, "it's about an hour that way."

As Elle, Sayid, and Kate rounded the corner of their beach, Elle noticed that Jack's entrance had caused a stir of emotions amongst the survivors. Elle scanned the beach and couldn't spot Juliet anywhere in sight. She saw a disgruntled Sawyer making his way towards her and he swung her around in his arms, kissing her. Flustered, she gasped for air, as she felt herself being dropped to the sand. Landing with a solid thump, she looked up at Sawyer and shouted.

"What the hell was that for?"

"The kiss," he growled, "was because I was relieved to see you."

"And droppin' me on my ass?"

"That," he sneered, "was for being hardheaded and leavin' without me."

Offering her a hand, he lifted her up, wiping the sand from her rear. Playfully swatting his hand away from her body, she saw his eyes narrow and look off behind her. _What the hell she doin' here? _Sawyer had seen Juliet. Turning around, Elle gazed at her, as she sat off to the edge of the beach, isolating herself.

"Wait for it," Elle managed to get out before she noticed Kate making her way over to an exhausted Jack. Watching, she saw Kate arguing with Jack, vehemently throwing her hands up in disgust as Jack shook his head. Reading his lips, Elle noticed a few choice words: _enough, not now, _and what caused both Kate and Elle to drop jaw, _I trust her. That bastard_, Elle mumbled, loud enough for Sawyer to pick up. She watched Jack make his way over to Juliet, leaving a stunned Kate in his wake.

Chapter 21

Tension was thick amongst the cautious survivors. The newcomer, Juliet, was an enigma amongst the family they had all become, as dysfunctional as that may be. Stories were circulating, more so, rumors were making their rounds about Juliet. Some speculated that she was a mole, planted amongst them, silently waiting to make her move. Others, skeptical, yet faithful believers in Jack, gambled their trust away, hopeful that Juliet would not turn against them. Still, some, mostly those that were captured and had been first hand witnesses to the brutality of the _Others_, refused to take their eyes off her, watching her every move. Elle, most of all, thirsting for answers, found herself in an eerily familiar position, skirting around the beach, looking for Kate.

The night before, Claire had become violently ill. An opportune moment for Juliet to become the unlikely hero, claiming she had the antidote to save Claire. Distressing enough, she admitted to being the cause of Claire's mysterious disease. Ethan was sent out to gather samples of the pregnant Claire; kidnapping her had never been part of their plan. Claire, however, was their project; although Aaron was conceived prior to the island, her condition was similar to those who had died on the island under Juliet's care. Lucky for Claire, Juliet's story did check out; Claire miraculously recovered. While others chests were lifted with the unforeseen burden, Elle's felt all the heavier. She needed answers. Pieces were fitting together, slowly, but not well enough. That's why she found herself searching for Kate. If she was to tackle this project, she was going to need backup.

She rummaged through a broken, blue plaid suitcase in her tent. Her hands grasped the sinewy wood of the bow she had widdled on her first days on the beach, careful not to break the guitar strings Charlie discarded as his callused fingers had snapped them in half, months before this moment. Plucking them, they vibrated and sent a chill down her spine. Reaching into the same suitcase, she found the quiver of arrows, wrapped protectively in a linen shirt, she had confiscated from the wreckage. She ran her fingers down the arrow's smooth shaft, flicking the tip of the metal scrap that fit snugly into its notches. She was regressing back to an earlier life, a life of survival, a life that was once her own. She was taking her life back, one _Other_ at a time.

Juliet had taken Sun to the medical hatch, the same one Claire had thought she had imagined in her dreams. There, Juliet confirmed that Sun was in fact pregnant and she had conceived on the island. Her fate, sealed by Juliet's hand, led Elle to believe that she too was in danger. Questions ran through her mind; why were _they_ so interested in Elle and her baby yet they left Sun alone? She knew why they had taken Claire; rather she knew what Juliet had wanted them to hear. Sun demanded answers, demanded that Juliet stop beating around the bush and be straightforward with her. Sun had gotten her answers. Was she pleased? Most likely, not as pleased as she would have been if her path and her child's outcome were different. They were answers none the less. Elle planned on getting her answers, but Juliet didn't dare approach her, nor did she attempt to make contact with Elle after she nearly attacked her for what she had done to Claire. Juliet kept her distance and that is exactly how Elle wanted to keep it. Sneaking up on Juliet wouldn't prove easy, but the thrill Elle got out of the pained expression on her face proved fulfilling.

As Kate and Elle rounded Juliet's lean-to, Elle watched as Juliet finished tying a sailor's knot, securing her tarp to a thin remnant of tree, the handy work of Sawyer's frustration. Signaling to Kate, Elle inched closer, silently placing an arrow into the crook of the bow. Aiming, she pulled tightly on the bow and released an arrow, piercing the palm of Juliet's hand, pinning it to the lumber. Before Juliet could gasp in pain, Kate had her hand over Juliet's mouth, shushing her as she menacingly hovered behind her. Walking towards Juliet, Elle sneered as she shoved the arrow completely through Juliet's hand, breaking the tip of the arrow off in one clean and swift motion. Removing gauze from her back pocket, she placed it over Juliet's wound and bandaged it. With a hard look and few words, Elle instructed Juliet that they were going for a walk and if she knew what was good for her, she wouldn't call to anyone for help. Sawyer was keeping Jack busy with a game of ping-pong, while Elle and Kate made their kidnapping a reality.

"Jack's occupied," Elle smiled, "so I wouldn't bother to scream."

With the nose of a gun pressed against Juliet's back, Kate nudged her along towards the medical hatch. Elle guarded her, playing mischievously with another arrow, glancing back and forth to Juliet's worn face. They slowly made their way; intentionally draining Juliet of any stored energy, she had managed to conserve before she slowly bled out from her wounded hand. The entrance to the hatch, normally concealed by overgrown leaves, was easily attainable thanks to Juliet's visit with Sun the previous day. The shaft to the medical hatch was narrow, metal steps lead them down a partially lit hallway. Juliet easily found her way, pushed open the large medical door and switched on the lights. Glancing around, Elle noticed the semi abandoned room, adorned with baby memorabilia. Wincing, Elle shoved Juliet, who backhanded her, catching Elle off guard. Jumping to her rescue, Kate threw her heel into Juliet's back, knocking her to her knees. Gasping for her breath, Kate drug her to her feet and threw her onto the medical table. Snarling, Kate breathed down Juliet's neck.

"Is that all you've got?"

"Why I find all this amusing," Elle rounded the table, "it's time you start talking."

"I was curious as to when you would make your move," Juliet smiled, almost too friendly.

"Made it," Elle refused to give into her charm, "I said _talk_."

"What is it that you want me to talk about?"

"Why I studied you as well," Juliet began, "why I ran tests on you?

Nodding her head, Elle demanded more. What sort of tests, why her, why not Sun, what did they do to her child, why is her pregnancy hurried? Catching Juliet off guard with her last statement, Juliet's eyes lowered for a split second, causing Elle to cease talking.

"You said I was three weeks," Elle whispered, frightened what she may find out would also be lies.

"The average woman in this state of pregnancy would be three weeks," Juliet offered.

"_What does that mean_?" she shouted, rushing over to Juliet, "_would be_?"

Shaking Juliet, she begged her, threatened her, she pleaded for answers. Finding herself sobbing, she wiped her nose with the back of her hand and stood back, breathing in the stale air of the hatch. Juliet watched as she wretched her body in desperation. Holding out her hand, she placed it on Elle's stomach and stared her in the eyes. Juliet's ocean blue eyes seemed to spill out, encompassing Elle.

Sinking to her knees, Elle palmed her stomach, as Juliet told her of her failed research, the death of pregnant women, who put their lives on the line, for Juliet's own medical testing. When Flight 815 crashed, the passengers' lives were researched, Elle's miscarriage flagged for Juliet's attention. Her internal strength, her will power, her inability to get sick, proved to be worthy of a new trial of testing. Juliet worked hard and long, as she and others infiltrated their camp, studying them, bringing back blood samples. Elle and Sawyer's relationship proved viable in Juliet's research. They were intimate; she was fertile, as was he. Stressful times often resulted in a human's innate desire for animalistic release. It would only be a matter of time before Elle would conceive. What she was injected with, was a new strain of estrogen, induced with a rapid growth hormone. Intended to speed up the fetus' growth while shortening the amount of time in the womb, perhaps with luck, both mother and child would come out unscathed. _Will we_, Elle asked her, _will this work?_ Setting up the ultrasound equipment, Juliet offered her a hand.

"Let's find out."

On the screen, dancing in front of her eyes, she wouldn't have believed it, if it weren't for Kate seeing the same thing. What was just a pea-sized fetus a week and a half back, was now the equivalent of a six month old. Pointing out the fetus' limbs, its tiny face, and a small tear dropped nose, its lips wrapped around a miniscule thumb, Elle felt a smile creep slowly over her lips. Kate gasped as Juliet pointed out its distinguishing features. Elle turned to Juliet and pointed at the screen.

"This isn't some sort of trick," she bit her lip, "right?"

"No trick," Juliet smiled, "just a miracle."

For a brief moment, Elle felt sorry for shooting Juliet in the hand with an arrow. She wanted to apologize, to blame her hormones, to put the blame on something or someone other than herself. She wanted to thank her, for showing her what she had known all along. That was until Juliet spoke again.

"Ben will be satisfied."

Wiping the smile off Juliet's face with a quick knuckle punch, Elle dropped Juliet on her back, leaving her unconscious.

"No way in hell," Elle shot across to Kate who was busy tying Juliet up.

"No way will I let that creep near my baby."

Chapter 22

Debating whether to leave Juliet tied up in the medical hatch or drag her back to their camp ended in a stalemate. Elle wanted to leave her to fend for herself while Kate wanted to humiliate her in front of the others. _Besides_, Kate offered, _she'll manage to free herself, I've witnessed it firsthand_. As they weighed the pros and cons, Elle watched as the unconscious Juliet lay at her feet, her hands tied behind her back, her body contorted into the fetal position. Ironic, Elle thought to herself. Kate was fumbling around in the drawers and cabinets for something sturdier to tie Juliet up with, perusing through the lockers and stumbled upon a tape recorder. Holding it up to Elle with an interested gleam in her eye, she pressed down on the play button. The tape slowly wound and static filled the densely aired hatch. Juliet's voice came out over the airwaves, trembling at first, steadying as the message played out.

"_Ben, its six a.m. on Saturday morning. Kwon is pregnant; the fetus is healthy and was conceived on-Island with husband. He was sterile before they got here. I'm still working on getting samples from the other women. I should have Grecco's updates soon. I'll report back when I know more."_

Kate shut the recorder off, rewound it, and hit the play button for a second time. Elle found herself standing too close to Kate in anticipation, took a step back, and questioningly looked at her.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"We should trust her," Kate mocked an earlier comment made by Jack.

"Not as far as I can throw her," she rolled her eyes and huffed.

Hearing the recording for a second time sealed Elle's decision on what to do with Juliet. Together, Kate and Elle drug Juliet back to the beach where they threw her limp body into her tent and they headed off to find Sayid. If anyone could be trusted with this important data, it was him. Kate's gut reaction was to tell Jack, but she shook that notion off her skin like an annoying gnat. They made their way down the beach searching for Sayid. They checked his usual spots; his tent, the abandoned alcove where he would fiddle on his mechanical projects, they even found themselves grasping the cable in the sand where Sayid decidedly made his pilgrimage to search for forgiveness. Combing their steps backwards, Elle noticed a seemingly frazzled Hurley ambling towards them. His eyes, hooded beneath his frizzy mop of limp curls, darted back and forth between the two women and his tent.

"I've been looking for you two all morning," he breathlessly said, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"You hafta come with me."

Hurley reached for their arms and practically dragged them onward. Pulling back from his grip, Elle wrinkled her nose as she thought for a moment. Indicative of thinking, she playfully bit her lip, lost in thought.

"We were actually on our way lookin' for Sayid," Elle shrugged her shoulders.

"Sorry."

"He's with us," Hurley stammered, "the tent, the chick…" his voice trailed off.

"Chick?" Kate did a double take, "What chick, Hurley?"

"Whoops," Hurley's cheeks reddened as he made a beeline for his tent.

Intrigued, Elle and Kate picked up their pace and followed Hurley back to his tent, where a nail biting Charlie paced back and forth on makeshift sentry duty. Looking over his shoulder for what seemed to Elle, the umpteenth time, Hurley lifted the flap to his tent and ushered the two women in. Surrounding a cot, squatted Sayid and an ever-hopeful Desmond, quietly talking to the fallen woman. Sayid looked up from the woman and greeted Elle and Kate.

"Good," he was bemused as he looked to Hurley, "you found them."

"Sayid," Kate stood over the badly injured woman who faintly smiled as they slouched to fit under Hurley's tarp.

"Did Jack do this?" she pointed to the woman's bandages.

Elle noticed as Desmond cleared his throat and Sayid turned his eyes downward, that neither of them had bothered to alert Jack to their fallen angel. Kate became annoyed with them, despite her earlier arguments about Jack not being trustworthy. She ranted that 'they had to tell Jack' which caused Sayid to grit his teeth and stand with force.

"We will _not_ be telling Jack," he stated with firmness.

Elle broke the tension with a question that was burning in her head ever since she laid eyes on the woman in the tent. Dread nudged Elle's mind, clouding her judgment. Sensing something oddly familiar about the woman, Elle broke past Kate and shielded Sayid from her glare.

"She just _fell_ from the sky?"

The woman caught her breath and looked up at Elle. Announcing that her name was Naomi and that she was sent by Penelope Windmore to find 'her lost love', she explained how her helicopter crashed in the ocean, leaving her to parachute to safety. Elle raised her eyebrows questioning the woman's reasoning. Who was she really? Desmond pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it. Elle noticed that it wasn't a piece of paper at all; it was a photograph of a tidier and happier Desmond with a blonde woman. Handing it over to Elle, Desmond gave her the details. Penny, he pointed to the woman in the photo. A small smile lit up his tired face. Raining on everyone's parade, as Elle had the knack for doing, she grimaced as the words left her mouth.

"You're telling me," her jaw was taut, "that you _believe_ her?"

"After what the _Others_ put me through-" she corrected herself, "put us through!"

"You're going to fall for this?"

She turned to face Sayid. She stood eye to eye with him, shaking her head.

"I'd expect more from you."

Sayid gripped Elle's elbow tightly as he escorted her outside of the tent, away from the others. Elle noticed as Sayid's eyes enlarged and he shifted an eyebrow. Charlie had ducked his head out, which caused him to stumble onto the sand. Cowering, Charlie mumbled.

"Right," he schlepped back to the tent, "I'll be at the bloody kid's table."

Sayid apologized for being firm with her and let go of her arm. It was as if he was ashamed of himself for manhandling her; she watched as he routinely folded his hands together as he spoke. It wasn't that he believed Naomi, he began, for he was good at reading people, it was only that she had not given him any reason _not_ to believe her statement. He felt that Jack was on a need to know basis and since Jack didn't pay them any mind when inviting Juliet to join their community, he didn't need Jack's approval either. Sayid still wasn't as trusting of Jack as he once was, but still felt it necessary to keep things on an even playing field. Perhaps it was because they needed good news so badly that Sayid too fell into desperation. Elle wasn't having any of it. Pulling the tape recorder from her back pocket, she shoved it into his hands.

"Listen to this," she turned to walk away, leaving Sayid with these words, "then tell me where you stand."

She didn't trust Juliet. Maybe that is why she was so apprehensive of this 'Naomi'. _If that's even her real name_, she scoffed to herself. The sun was setting and Elle cursed herself for forgetting about the condition in which they had left Juliet. Already upset by the news that Naomi brought and the confusion that mangled even the sanest of thoughts, Elle braved herself for what lay ahead; confrontation on Jack's behalf. _It's inevitable_, she thought to herself, _she'll run to Jack as soon as she regains consciousness. _

Chapter 23

Elle, slowly making her way back to her tent, hadn't realized how much energy she had used in the kidnapping plot and execution. Her body was exhausted, yet the adrenaline from the petty argument with Sayid kept her motivated. Running a hand through her hair, she pulled out what seemed to be a clump of dirt, most likely from their trek to the medical hatch. Smoothing a hand down her shirt, something warm and sticky caught her by surprise; Juliet's blood. She brought the other hand to her mouth. Retching behind the tent, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Perfect," she mumbled as she ran her tongue across her teeth, gagging at the remnants of vomit that lined them. She heard someone approaching and quickly turned to see a sight for sore eyes. Sawyer, barefoot and bloody, limped towards their tent. He was oblivious to Elle's presence. Intrigued that he hadn't noticed her, she followed him into the tent. He was rummaging through his clothes when Elle spoke up.

"You look like hell," she placed a hand on his shoulder. Sawyer recoiled from her touch and Elle gasped in surprise.

"James?" she whispered his name, frightened by his rejection of her.

"James ain't home right now," he growled, stopping to glance at her, before grabbing some of his things and leaving.

Forgetting why she had gone to her tent in the first place, she hurried after him, calling out his name; Sawyer. He never faltered, keeping his back to her as he made his way towards the watering hole. Cupping the water into his dirt-laden hands, he splashed his face, not once, but twice. Spitting out into the sand, he ran his wet hands through his hair and lifted his shirt over his head. Elle watched as he attempted to redeem himself, to cleanse himself of something. But what? she wondered as his bloodshot eyes caught her staring.

"Can never just let things be," his voice was animalistic, his words growling as they escaped his lungs.

"Stubborn, remember?" her voice shook.

For a moment, she saw his eyes soften, as he looked at her, scanning her body, his eyes resting on her bump. She advanced on him, taking advantage of the opportune moment, but his eyes quickly turned to granite as he stepped backward.

"Don't."

With that, he walked towards the pantry area, where a mass of people had convened, Sayid at the helm. Elle made her way to the front where she was in the middle of a heated quarrel between those often quieted by the strongest of the lot. Claire and Sun were arguing with Sayid. Elle noticed that he stood guard around Naomi and realized that he had told the others of her revelations. Hearing again how their plane was found, that they were all dead, made Elle shudder. The masterminds behind their lives as they knew it had gone to extremes, trying to hide their whereabouts.

"So the whole world thinks we're dead?" Claire's voice shrilled with astonishment.

"That's not important right now," Sayid countered.

"Not important, Sayid?" Sun interjected.

"What do you mean, it's not important?" Claire was relentless.

Naomi spoke up, clearly amazed that they had skimmed over the fact that she had brought them possible rescue.

"I'm sorry, but don't you people _want_ to be rescued?"

Elle stepped towards Sayid, waiting to hear his explanation. She knew he would attempt to appease the crowd, but his tactics sometimes lacked, for a better word, tact.

"We kept her a secret to keep her safe."

Gasps could be heard amongst the others. _Safe from what_, came the crowd's question. His response caused more tension to stir the pot. _Safe from Jack_. As if cued, Jack and Juliet entered the discussion, abhorred by their sentiments.

"Guys." Jack nodded as he placed his backpack down.

"Where have you been?" Sayid questioned the two of them.

"Taking care of some things," Jack glared at Elle as Juliet turned her palm over to the crowd. Jack made his way over to Elle, quieting the rest of the survivors. His facial muscles were lean and taut. His voice, steady and angry, pierced their ears.

"Who do you think you are playing judge and jury?"

"That's rich, comin' from you, Jack." Elle squared her shoulders, balling her fists.

"Refresh our memories," she spat, "had you not done the same when it came to Shannon's inhalers?"

Sayid stepped in between the two sparring partners, his body tense, and his voice steady.

"Let us not speak of the dead."

"However, she is correct, Jack," Sayid looked remorseful, "we are at fault for the same misjudgment."

"She tortured Juliet!" Once again, he showed the crowd Juliet's hand. Not many look sympathetic.

"_She_'s the reason Claire got sick!" Elle stepped angrily towards Jack, her motive for kidnapping Juliet apparent to the others

"You're so blind when it comes to her, I took matters into my own hands."

"And she wasn't alone," Kate stood firmly supporting Elle. "You have a lot to prove to us."

Sun, who was once so meek, stepped forward, despite Jin's attempt to hold her back.

"Jack wouldn't do anything to cause us harm and I believe Juliet is a good person."

Ashamed that Elle was about to belittle her friend in front of the remaining crowd, she knew it had to be done. Juliet _had_ to be outed.

"Your faith in her wouldn't have anything to do with a trip to the medical hatch, would it?" Elle motioned to Sayid to present the tape recorder.

"Play it…" remorseful, she turned to Sun, "I'm sorry Sun, but she's nothing but a louse and liar."

"If anyone can spot a con artist…" Sawyer's voice trailed off. Elle caught his eye as he spoke, wondering why he was even making an attempt.

"Where'd you get that?" Jack was clearly angry.

"You really think you're in any position to ask us questions, Doc?" Sawyer glared.

Juliet inched forward, her eyes rimmed with red as she looked to the crowd.

"If you want to burn me at the stake, here I am, but there's something else on that tape you need to hear."

"Turn it over."

"Stay out of this," Sawyer growled.

"Do as she says," Jack ordered Sayid.

"Aye, here we go again," Charlie murmured as Claire shushed him to be quiet.

"Dude, let's hear it," a remotely quiet Hurley raised his voice, "it can't get any worse."

Sayid pressed the eject button, releasing the tape. Flipping it over with finesse, he shut it closed and pressed play. The tape could be heard winding as static filled the beach air. Ben's voice came out loud and sinister. Sayid held the tape recorder into the air, allowing everyone to huddle in closer to hear.

"_Juliet, it's Ben. I'm sending three teams to extract Kwon and Grecco the night after tomorrow. We won't have time to run the other samples, so if you determine that she or anyone else is pregnant, mark their tents and we'll take them too. Good luck."_

"_O…kay_…" Hurley looked sick to his stomach, "I _was _wrong."

Elle rushed Juliet, only to be held back by Sayid and Sawyer. She was fuming. How dare she fill them with hope only to know that they were going to be ambushed and kidnapped once again! Juliet turned to a fear stricken Sun.

"The night I saw your baby on the ultrasound, I told Jack what they were making me do."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sayid spoke for everyone as he addressed Jack.

"Because at that time, I hadn't known what to do yet."

Sayid looked from Elle to Jack.

"Yet?"

Jack threw his backpack over his shoulder and smiled.

"I think we have some catching up to do."

Chapter 24

Whatever Jack had planned, he wasn't going to explain to them at the beach. Instructing a select handful, they packed their backpacks lightly and trekked behind their lost leader, apprehensively so. Charlie and Hurley were discussing the possibilities as Elle found herself walking alone. Sawyer had yet to talk to her and she watched as he shielded a worried Claire and a whimpering Aaron. This sight angered her, almost jealous like, she cringed. She knew she had no reason to be jealous of Claire, but she was carrying his child wasn't she? Shouldn't he be walking with her? Shrugging off her insecurities, she made her way slowly, taking in the view. Jack was leading them to an open area, similar to the field they were ambushed in on their trek with Michael. She scoured the trees, looking for any signs of treachery. Charlie's voice caught her attention.

"Anyone want to venture what Jack's going to be showing us here in the middle of nowhere?"

"I dunno, dude," Hurley was the only one to answer, "probably secret stuff."

"Why does everything have to be kept a secret?" Charlie threw up his hands.

Elle watched as Desmond stopped and gave Charlie a knowing look. Hurley interjected that they did happen to keep the parachute lady a secret.

"Bygones," Charlie waved a hand, "bygones."

"Still," Charlie continued, "that was different."

"How so, Charlie?" Claire stopped walking and waited for them to catch up. She looked to Elle and simply nodded. Elle watched as Sawyer kept walking. Sighing, she turned her attention back to Charlie.

"For starters," Charlie huffed, "we weren't playin' football with them."

Elle had to laugh. Charlie was right. Charlie saw things innocently; almost too innocently, she noted. Jack was commiserating with the enemy and he enjoyed every minute of it. It made Elle sick to her stomach. Jack and Juliet stopped up ahead and turned to face the others. They were standing in a line, anxiously awaiting Jack's plan. Jack was the first to speak.

"We're here."

Sawyer looked around and scoffed.

"Peachy," he smirked, "you wanna tell us why you picked _this _spot?"

"A couple of nights ago, Juliet came to me and she told me everything. That Ben had sent her here to find out which of our women were pregnant...," he looked to Sun and Elle.

"So what," Kate took a step forward, "you were doing tests on all of us?"

"No, not all of you," Juliet replied, "but that's just what he wanted me to do."

"I've been leaving tapes at the medical station. You all heard what he said, they're coming tomorrow."

"Sun, I'm sorry that I lied to you." She turned to face Elle but faltered to speak. Elle's eyes were burning with anger.

"Well, that's what you're good at," Elle spat, "right?"

Sayid intervened before another fight ensued. Questioning Jack's motives, he still wondered why they were taken to an open field. Jack cupped his mouth and hollered.

"Danielle!"

Emerging from an array of trees, Rousseau walked towards a worn area of grass. Jack instructed her to "show them," and she knelt down, picked up two frayed wires, entwining them together. Off in the distance, they heard a loud explosion, noticing a tree being uprooted by what seemed to be a blast from dynamite.

"Bloody hell!" Charlie jumped, putting an arm around Claire as the explosion stirred Aaron.

"Jesus, Doc," Sawyer grumbled, "a warning?"

Jack turned to face them. Placing his hands on his hips, his speech ready to commence, they waited for his begotten words of wisdom.

"When Juliet told me they were coming, the first thing I thought was, where the hell are we gonna hide this time?"

Hurley looked to his left and then to his right. Shrugging his shoulders, he answered Jack.

"You got me dude."

"I think he was being rhetorical," Sawyer chewed on his words, "Hugo." Jack continued.

"But hiding's pointless. They're just gonna keep coming back. So I went out and I found some help." Pointing to Rousseau, his voice echoed over the valley.

"For the past few days she's been bringing dynamite back from the _Black Rock_. For the very first time we know exactly what they want, when they're coming to get it, and they have no idea that we're gonna be waiting for 'em."

"So Juliet's gonna mark the tents with the white rocks just like she was told to, but there's not going to be any pregnant women inside…" his voice trailed.

"So what are you suggestin', Doc?"

"Tomorrow night, we stop hiding, we stop running, we stop living in fear of them."

Juliet placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, nodding as he spoke. Elle wanted to slap her. _She really knows how to play it up_, she gritted her teeth. Jack's final words blew them away.

"When they show up, we're gonna blow 'em all to hell."

"Blow 'em all to hell, my ass," Elle mumbled, "let's start with her."

"Save it for later," Sawyer heard her, "let's get a move on."

Jack's plan left them all a bit weary and speechless. The usual quick-witted banter between the friends was sparse as they made their way back to their beach. Elle felt a hand on her back and for a moment smiled thinking it may have been Sawyer. Turning to face the person, she quickly learned that it was Claire. She must have made a face because Claire didn't sound too happy.

"Aye," she whispered, "not happy to see me, then?"

"I just thought…" Elle batted a tear away, damn it, where did that come from?

"You just thought I was someone else," Claire pointed at Sawyer's back.

"You ever have one of those days," Elle bit her lip.

"Where the good is slighted by the onslaught of bad?" Claire wiggled her nose almost bewitchingly.

"Well, when you put it that way," Elle chuckled.

Elle walked with Claire, confiding in her, sharing with her the deepest thoughts she had stored away in the corner of her mind. She knew Claire wouldn't judge and she'd listen with not only her ears, but her heart as well. Elle opened up to Claire about what she found in the medical hatch. She watched as Claire's eyes widened at Juliet's kidnapping, watching Claire shrink back from her dastardly deeds. When she thought Claire would turn and walk away, she found Claire resting a supportive hand on the small of her back. Claire's persistent nodding head inspired Elle to continue.

"This baby's coming soon, Claire," Elle shook her head, "too soon."

"All the more reason to get the hell off this island," Claire raised an eyebrow, "don't you think?"

"You really think that Naomi came to rescue us?"

"I've done my fair share of grasping at straws Elle," Claire shrugged, "but Charlie believes her."

"And you believe in Charlie."

It wasn't a question and Claire knew. Simply nodding, she reassured Elle that believing in someone wasn't as hard as she thought it was. Fair enough, her haunted past had led Elle astray, but she did find companionship in someone other than herself. She opened up to Sawyer, she let go of her past, as her days on the beach lingered under the blazing sun. As their good days got better and better with time, something always kept them from moving forward. It was always something secretive, something too familiar, something that would never allow them to be free of their past. Something that would bring them closer or inevitably tear them apart.

"So you slip up every now and then," Claire peppered her, "but really, who hasn't?"

"Something happened to him," Elle watched Sawyer as he made his way to their tent.

Sitting down on the cool sand, Claire lowered Aaron to the ground and as he grasped her fingers, he tottered back and forth, and fell on his bottom. Giggling, he looked up to his mother for approval and playfully smacked at the sand with his chubby hands. Elle pulled him close and he squirmed in her lap. She played with a tuft of his hair as she spoke.

"How'd you like someone your own size to play with?"

"He'd love that!" Claire tickled his feet, "Wouldn't you, hunny?"

Aaron gurgled and cooed as the two women fawned over him. Elle couldn't help but stare off towards her tent. Aaron tugged at her curls, interrupting her thoughts.

"What do you think happened," Claire asked her, "with Sawyer, I mean."

"I don't know, Claire," Elle watched down shore as Jack spoke with Danielle.

"I should go see if they need any help," Elle placed Aaron in Claire's lap.

"You should start packin' up your things," she suggested, "I'll come back for you two."

"Don't you think you should check up on him?" Claire pointed to Sawyer as he packed things into a backpack.

"I should," Elle frowned, "but I'm not going to."

"He'll come around," she sighed, "he always does."

Elle made her way over to Jack, intending to apologize, but she was interrupted by an over zealous Sayid. He seemed to be pestering Jack about Naomi's phone. Jack didn't seem interested.

"Not now," Jack noticed Elle standing off to the side. She pulled a piece of white cloth from her back pocket, noticeably Aaron's spittle rag, and waved it.

"Truce?"

"I don't have time for this," Jack waved her off, "I'm a bit busy at the moment."

"And I'm trying to get us off the island Jack!" Sayid's voice elevated, causing both Jack and Elle to stop what they were doing.

"Thank you," Sayid lowered his voice, "I can't transmit using this phone because Danielle's distress signal is blocking the frequency."

He turned to Danielle and asked her to show him where she made that call over sixteen years ago. She seemed unsure of his request, wondering what difference it made if his signal reached the airwaves.

"That's been running for sixteen years," she concluded, "no one is listening."

"Yes, yes," Sayid was frustrated, "but Naomi's freighter is just 18 miles offshore, if I can eliminate your call, they will be sure to hear us."

"No they won't," Juliet interrupted.

"Why's that?" Elle interjected, anxious to hear what lies would come from her mouth.

"Because we're jamming it," Juliet spoke from the fallen stump she had been sitting on.

"Of course you are," Sayid stated, looking to Elle as he said so.

"There's a DHARMA station, _The Looking Glass_," she pressured her way back into the conversation.

"Ben has been using it to block all transmissions except for our own."

"So take us to it, Alice," Elle blurted out, referencing a classic, _Alice in Wonderland_. Wouldn't Sawyer have been proud?

"It's underwater," Juliet shook her head, "I have no idea where it is located."

Elle looked to Sayid, remembering the wire that mysteriously began in the water. Sayid nodded, their minds linked.

"I believe we do."

Chapter 25

Further down the beach, Sayid, Jack, Elle, and Juliet were examining the files Sayid had confiscated from the _Flame Station._ Pointing to a blueprint of what seemed to be an underwater dome, his eyes sparkled.

"Now, this is _The Looking Glass_. It seems Juliet was correct, this is an underwater station."

"Or she's playin' us again for fools," Elle shot Juliet a suspicious glare.

"Please," Sayid placed the papers under Juliet's nose, "can you tell me anything you might know about this place?"

"I've never been down there," she shook her head, "I don't know anyone who has."

"Why not?" Jack asked with concern in his voice.

"From what I've been told, there was some accident. Ben told us that the station was completely flooded."

"Well if it's flooded," Elle cut in, "then how does it still manage to work?"

"And not to rain on anyone's parade," Elle waved a hand towards Juliet, "but when has Ben ever told the truth?"

"How it still works is irrelevant," Sayid brushed her question aside, "the real question is, how do we get it to stop working?"

"This diagram here shows the station connected to the Island by a cable and I happen to believe it's the very same cable down the beach that runs into the ocean."

"So," Elle knew where Sayid was going with this revelation, "if we follow the cable, it should lead us to the station."

"Exactly, Elizabeth."

Jack looked skeptical. He wasn't about to go on a wild goose chase when there was the task of getting everyone to the radio tower for safety. He prodded Sayid for more information, mostly on how one planned to get to the station safely. Sayid shielded his eyes from Jack's view, but his voice gave away his vulnerabilities. To swim there wouldn't prove difficult, he told them. He should be able to swim there without harm and turn off the switch.

"How about the swim back?" Elle asked, afraid of Sayid's answer.

Sayid coolly looked at them and without a word, his bushy eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

"No way," Jack tossed the papers to the table, "I'm not going to send you off on some suicide mission to flip a lousy switch."

"That switch," Sayid corrected him, "is our way off this island."

Charlie and Desmond walked towards the group, with determination in their steps. Charlie intervened and offered to go for the swim. Elle was taken back. I thought you couldn't swim, she asked him.

"I was junior swim champion in Northern England. I can hold my breath for four minutes; I know how to swim, Elle."

They all paused as they reflected Charlie's admission. Charlie took advantage of their silence.

"I'll do it," he said confidently, "swim down, turn off that bloody switch, and swim back up."

"Piece of cake." Charlie dusted his hands off and waited for their decision.

"No." Jack shook Charlie's offer away. "There's no reason to deal with that now."

"I beg to differ," Sayid was getting annoyed, "we have a chance for rescue."

"Look, for ninety days, I've been asked to make decisions for the entire camp," Jack was frustrated.

"There you go," he slammed his hand down, "I just made one."

Down the beach, Elle saw a figure running towards their camp, a small outrigger docked on the sand. She pointed a finger, bringing everyone's attention to the stranger, causing alarm to show in Sayid's eyes. Sayid started to sprint towards the intruder, knocking him down. Elle slowly made her way along with the others and watched as Sawyer lifted Sayid off the boy.

"Let him go," Sawyer held Sayid back, "it's okay, I know him."

"He's one of _them,_" Sayid hissed.

"His name's Karl," Sawyer continued to defend him, "they had him in a cage next to me when they took us."

"Whatcha doin' here Karl?" Sawyer was gruff, watching Sayid out of the corner of his eye.

Karl, obviously out of breath from the run and being overtaken by their resident torturer, stuttered his response.

"My people are coming!"

The crowd nodded that they knew. Sawyer, sarcastic as usual, told Karl that he was too late, they already knew about it.

"Tomorrow," Sawyer smirked, "they're in for a big surprise!"

"Tomorrow!" Karl shouted, "They aren't coming tomorrow, they're on their way now!"

Panic set in. The crowd began to couple up, preparing for the hike to the radio tower. Rousseau and Jack were debating whether they had enough time and wire to set up the bombs. Unfortunately, she needed the entire night to complete the task. Deciding that they didn't have enough time or wire, Sayid suggested shooting at the targets from a safe distance. The tree line proved to be a considerable safe distance to fire at the tents. Questions arose. _Ten people are heading here, where are we going to get enough guns? Where do we hide? _

"No, you misunderstand," Sayid eased the crowd, "three tents, three targets. We only need one more gun."

Miraculously, Karl pulled out a gun from his waistband. Sayid smiled, grateful for the gun. Now all they had to do was find three willing to stay behind and await the _Others. _Jin was the first to offer his services. A wary Sun stood to the back, watching as Jin took target practice. Sayid was the second; it was a given. Elle inched her way closer to the men.

"Give me a gun," she put out her hand.

"I'm afraid not," Sayid placed a hand on her shoulder.

"A woman in your condition," Jack began, but was cut off.

"I'm more than capable, Jack." Elle stood with her hands on her hips.

Sawyer, knowing she wasn't going to back down, did the only thing he could think of that would annoy her to submission.

"The hell you are woman," he growled. "You ain't puttin' our child in harm's way."

Elle's dark eyes burned through his stony stare. She knew he meant well, but why did he always have to put her down to make his point? A quiet Bernard, stepped forward and offered to take her place. Sayid looked skeptical of Bernard and Rose was quick to pull on his arm, to keep him from going.

"I'll be your man," Bernard demanded, "I need to do this."

Bernard did just that. As the rest of them prepared their belongings, Juliet placed white coral in front of the selected tents, while Sayid and Jack camouflaged the dynamite with leaves and various brush. In the background, practice shots from Bernard's rifle hit an assortment of Dharma cans. Rose took Bernard aside and Elle overheard their quaint conversation. Rose was insisting that Bernard repeat something. Elle crept closer.

"Repeat it, Bernard!"

A reluctant Bernard, blushing at his embarrassing task, took his wife's hands in his own and uttered,

"I'm a dentist, I am not Rambo."

Smiling to herself, she felt Rose's hand on her arm. Shaking her head, she told Elle that her husband was a defiant and stubborn man, but had the best intentions.

"Similarities run deep in this camp," Rose looked towards Sawyer.

"They just don't always use reasoning when acting upon their manly emotions."

"Amen to that," Elle smiled, grateful that Rose took a few moments to talk to her. She noticed down the beach, Jack too, was watching the interactions of their fellow castaways. She made her way over just as Sayid approached him, wishing him good luck on his travels.

"No, Sayid," Jack took his hand back, "I'm staying with them."

"Jack," Sayid took his hand, "take them to the tower, I will stay behind."

"I am more than willing to die here tonight, knowing I have given you all the chance at rescue."

"Earlier you said you were their leader," Sayid blinked, "it's time you were just that."

Shaking his hand, Jack was honored by Sayid's courage and will. It was exactly what Jack needed to hear. Inspired to lead them, again, he wished Sayid luck, and turned to face the awaiting mass of people. He looked on as they gathered, some paired off, others, like Sawyer, staggered the formation. Hefting his backpack over his shoulder, Jack sighed, looked to them, and spoke.

"Let's go."

Chapter 26

Although Jack was intended to lead them to the Radio Tower, he followed Rousseau's footsteps as she shirked along the shoreline. They were on a solemn march towards safety and as Elle lagged to the back, she watched their formation stagger. The least she could do was keep guard, making sure they weren't being followed. More so, she couldn't stand the fact that Sawyer was burning holes into the back of her head. He hadn't said another word since he forbid her from staying behind, yet continued to stare at her from behind his shaggy hair. Even though she had taken up the rear, Sawyer still managed to steal glances her way, as if he cared. Her body was tense, her legs and feet sore from the walking, and her lower back aching from the rigorous hiking. The last thing she needed was another argument; her body wouldn't be able to take much more strain. Naomi approached Jack and Elle watched as she demonstrated how to work the phone, in case something should happen to her along the way. Elle smirked as Naomi gave Juliet a suspicious glance and then waited for her to leave.

As they trudged through the jungle and up various mountain terrains, night began to fall on the survivors. As the moon hung overhead, it cast shadows, ghostlike apparitions that seemed to lurk behind them as they made way for the ominous Radio Tower. A bone chilling breeze blew through the trees, causing the hairs on their necks to stand on ends. They were all anxious, looking over their shoulders, straining their ears to hear the triumphant explosions. Elle kept one eye on the horizon and another on Naomi. The red light was blinking every few seconds, a warning sign that Charlie had not found the switch. Worse, Elle shuddered, he hadn't made it. She watched a worried Claire bounce Aaron in her arms, trying to ease him into a slumber. No one could fathom sleeping, not even an infant. They stood atop a ridge, taking a breather. Off to the south could be heard two explosions and multiple gun shots. They watched as smoke wafted to the sky. Jack's face shown relief only to be stricken by Rose.

"There were supposed to be _three_ explosions!"

"It didn't work," Kate whispered, "it didn't' work"

"Why were there only two?" Sun came up from behind Jack, her hands entwined with Rose's.

"Maybe they didn't have to blow the third one," Elle offered.

"But all that gunfire," Rose shook, "you don't think…"

"He's okay, Rose," Jack didn't sound convinced.

"They had no idea we were waiting for them," he stood straighter as if that made him seem more convincing, "plus, Sayid is with them, they'll be fine."

"Do you believe that?" Sun asked incredulously, "Because then we'll stay and wait."

"No, no!" Jack began, "No one gets left behind."

"If you say live together die alone to me, Jack, I'm gonna punch you in the face."

"The lady's got a point there chief," Sawyer's voice came over the crowd.

"Fair enough, Rose, fair enough," Jack looked to the crowd, "we had a plan, and for all we know, it worked."

"Let's keep moving."

As they trekked further along, Elle noticed that Sawyer took a left when they should have gone straight and followed him into the trees. She found him wading in the water, sipping from a stream. Picking up a flat rock, she skimmed it along the water, and watched it splash near his feet. Kneeling down, she cupped the water and splashed her face.

"Something's wrong," she broke the awkward silence.

"Somethin's always wrong, Elizabeth," he spoke to the stream, never looking her in the face.

"What happened to you?" her voice cracked, tension coated her words.

Sawyer pondered her question for a moment then looked at her. His once bright bottle green eyes looked shallow and hard.

"I was with Locke."

"Locke?" Elle couldn't fathom the last time she had seen him.

"What the hell did the bald bastard do?"

"Not nearly as much as I did," he smirked, almost sinister like.

"Damn it, Sawyer," Elle hissed, "tell me what happened!"

"Don't want you goin' into early labor," he rummaged through his bag.

"We wouldn't want that, would we?" his words were dripping with sarcasm.

Elle kicked at the water, spraying Sawyer from head to toe. She threw her hands into the air after he questioned her motives.

"You're walking around like a zombie," she sighed, "I don't know what you want anymore."

"And since when do you call me Elizabeth!"

Sawyer didn't respond.

"Listen," she knelt near him again, "this baby…our baby…they experimented on us."

"It's comin' sooner than normal," she reached for his hand, "I'm scared as hell."

Sawyer ignored her advances and stood to his feet. As he threw his backpack over his shoulder, he looked her in the eyes and his words came out quick and gruff.

"You should be."

He left her standing in utter disappointed silence. She watched again as he walked away from her and from their baby. It was getting to be habitual, yet Elle would never get used to the awful feelings it left in her. She didn't know whether it was the stress or the anger she felt as she watched him, but a clammy feeling rushed over her body, her stomach turned, and she felt a pain in her lower body, unlike anything she had felt before. Her muscles seemed to be screaming, contracting for a second, and expanding another. She could taste the bile as it crept up into her throat. Wiping down her brow, she cooled herself off in the stream, waited until the pain subsided, and found her place back at the end of the trail. Hurley had noticed the strained situation from afar and watched as a pale Elle continued to walk with the others. He found himself nearing her when he cleared his throat and asked her a question.

"You, uh, I mean, Sawyer," he always seemed a bit nervous around her.

"Yup," she carelessly uttered, "fightin' again."

"I get _you_," Hurley offered, "I mean, I don't get _him_ at all, but I get why you put up with him."

"You do, huh?" Elle stopped to catch her breath.

"Mind explaining that one to me again?"

Hurley laughed. Shaking his head, he told Elle that they'd need Sayid to draw the diagrams while Jack used his medical jargon to confuse the rest of them. He blushed as he mentioned something about libido and rushing blood, only causing Elle to chuckle uncontrollably.

"Please, Hurley, stop," Elle patted him on the back, "I don't need a lesson in _that_."

"I think we've gone above and beyond," she pointed to her stomach.

"_Yeah_," he cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, "obviously."

"What do you think he's up to now?" he asked, pointing to Sawyer.

"Only one way to find out," Elle wrapped her arm in Hurley's and together they walked over to where Sawyer was talking to Jack. They caught the end of the conversation but by the tone in Jack's voice, Elle knew Sawyer had done or said something to upset him.

"There is no way you're going back," Jack told Sawyer.

"I ain't askin' for permission, Doc." Sawyer curtly replied.

"I'll go back with him," Elle interjected only to be slapped by Sawyer's words.

"No!" his voice was deep and harsh, "I'm goin' alone."

Elle had about enough of his defiance and his need to isolate.

"Every time there's trouble," she poked him in the chest, "we get separated or worse."

"I refuse to watch you walk away again."

"Then don't watch, darlin'."

"It's a suicide mission," Jack called after Sawyer as he turned his back to them and began to walk off.

"You don't even have a gun."

"You're just going to let him go back?" Elle turned to Jack.

"I can't force him to stay," Jack's words stung, "and you know that."

Juliet had been standing off to the side during the heated exchange, walked over to Jack, and offered to go along with Sawyer. She told him that she knew of a hidden cache of guns that her people had stored away. If they made their way around, they could sneak back to the beach, armed and ready. Sawyer had stopped when he heard the mention of guns and looked back at Juliet.

"Then let's get a move on."

"You don't have to do this," Jack looked terrified that Juliet was leaving his side.

"Yeah, Jack," she smiled, "I sort of have to." She gave Elle an apologetic look that sent Elle into a tailspin. Elle used every bit of restraint she could muster from knocking Juliet to the ground. Sure, Juliet may have offered to go with Sawyer as a way of reconciling with Elle, but she picked an awful time to do it.

Watching Juliet lay a kiss on Jack's lips made Elle angrier as she watched Sawyer and Juliet, of all people, walk off side by side. She wanted to run after him, she wanted to scream, but she knew it would be a waste of time and energy. They continued on their hike to the radio tower while Juliet and Sawyer hiked back to the beach. Walking for what seemed like hours, Elle stopped to rest upon a rotted tree trunk. Jack walked up behind her and questioned her.

"You okay," he pointed to her stomach, "is it the baby?"

"Nah," she opened her backpack and pulled out a water bottle, "the mom."

"Okay, good." Jack stood over her almost as if he had more to say.

"He didn't mean it, you know."

"What?" Elle looked confused.

"What Sawyer said back there," he pointed through the trees, "he didn't mean it."

"Didn't mean it?" Elle scrunched her forehead and pursed her lips.

"Then why'd he say it?"

"Same reason I told Kate not to come back from me," Jack squatted down to her level.

"I was trying to protect her," he placed a hand on her leg, "he's doing the same, Elle."

"He loves you."

Elle sat back in silence as she watched Jack walk on, with the rest of the group. She leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes; thinking that Sawyer had some way of showing her, that he loved her.

_Elle could hear the chirping of birds and the buzzing of bees as she opened her eyes. Rubbing the sleep out of them, she squinted as the light from the new dawn had managed to slip through her blinds. Groaning, she turned to her left, only to find herself alone. His spot on the bed was empty, the sheets wrinkled from a fitful sleep, the comforter doubled over on her legs. Hefting the light blue downy duvet to the end of the bed, Elle stretched her arms over her head and yawned. It had been years since they were rescued, yet she still wasn't used to sleeping in a bed, that wasn't a sleeping bag on lumpy sand. Voices could be heard from down the hall and as she threw on one of his white t-shirts, she slowly made her way down the old hallway. The wooden floors creaked with age, giving away to even the slightest footsteps. She adjusted a framed picture along the wall and made her way to the voices. She could hear the metal coils on his bed echoing down the hall as he giggled with every air born moment. She stopped to listen, her hand on his door, smiling as she savored the sounds. _

"_Now, what'd Mama tell you about jumpin' on the bed?"_

"_To jump higher than you!" came a small boy's voice, laughter escaping his lips._

"_Ooh, wee, she did, did she?" came the man's voice._

_Elle could hear an exchange of tickling going on and with that she carefully opened the door, not to interrupt the two. She laid eyes on him; his hair was shorter but still held that golden hue, his shirtless torso, was bronze as ever. He was kneeling on a twin-sized bed, the sheets with cowboy hats and lassos were wrinkled, as he and the boy jumped up and down. The boy, no younger than four, had dark brown curls, which bounced about his head, as his tiny feet hit the mattress. The man was blocking his view, but as he jumped, he saw over his head and exclaimed,_

"_Mama's awake!"_

"_Mornin' mama!"_

"_Mornin' darlin'," Elle smiled broadly._

_Sawyer turned to greet Elle, his dimples were plastered deep into his cheeks, his smile greeting Elle. He said g'mornin' and turned back to the little boy. Lifting him high into the air, as if he was flying, Sawyer began to hum the theme song to Superman. They came closer to Elle as she feigned surprise and put a hand to her eyes, as if looking to the sky. Her mouth, open in shock, enunciated, with exaggeration,_

"_Is it a bird?"_

"_Noooo, Mama," he giggled in delight._

"_Is it a plane?" she asked with the same exaggeration._

"_Mama, noooo," he laughed again._

"_Why, it's Superman!" Elle laughed as the little boy landed in her arms, playfully hitting her. Sawyer's trademark dimples kissed their son's cheeks as he laughed at his mother. His deep green eyes watered with hysterics. He shook his head and took her face in his tiny hands._

"_Mama, you're silly," he put a finger on each of her eyelids, lifting them up._

"_It's me, Sammy."_

_Elle open her mouth in surprise and repeated his name._

"_Sammy?" she kissed his forehead, "I thought Superman's name was Clark Kent?"_

_Sammy kissed Elle full heartedly on the mouth, his happy tears, as he called them, stained her lips. She tasted his salty tears and dropped to her knees. He knew what was coming next and tried to scramble away from her, but Sawyer put up a finger and waved it back and forth._

"_Sorry, buddy," he knelt down, "but you know the drill."_

"_Aww shucks, daddy," Sammy stood defiantly, with his hand on his hip, resembling his mother._

"_Don't you aww shucks me, boy," Sawyer couldn't help but smile as he saw Elle in his son. _

"_Go on, git."_

_Sammy bit his lip, stuck out his tongue, and turned to run away. Elle caught him with one arm, tossed him lightly onto his back, lifted up his shirt, and blew raspberries on his stomach. He squirmed with laughter as her kisses tickled him. _

"_Daddy! Help me-ee-ee," his voice vibrated with laughter._

"_Well," Sawyer crawled towards the two, "I'll see what I can do."_

_He reached for Elle's waist and pulled her close, flipping her on her back. Pinning her down, she tried to fight him off, but he was still as strong as ever. Sammy watched as his mother and father wrestled, got bored, and stamped his foot. Elle tried to break free, but Sawyer had her arms pinned above her head. He stared into her dark eyes and winked. He whispered, _Brownie Bits_, and before she knew it, he leant closer._

"_Don't even…"_

_Sawyer silenced Elle with a long, hard, kiss. She welcomed his mouth, returning his advances. He still tasted like menthol and mangoes. Some things would never change. Sammy broke them up. _

"_Ewww," he scrunched his nose, "not again-n-n!"_

Chapter 27

They trudged along, their bodies tired, but their wills strong. They climbed a hill and stood atop it, looking down a large valley. Standing in front of them, his large eyes determined, his brow sweaty, was Ben. If Elle didn't know any better, Jack had led them straight to their maker. Fortunately, for them all, Jack wasn't going to stand for this feeble interruption.

"Hello, Jack." Ben nodded. To his side, stood Alex, staring at them. She caught sight of Karl and smiled briefly. Elle noticed something familiar about her eyes; fear.

"Hi, I'm Benjamin, I'm afraid we haven't had the pleasure," Ben called out to their newcomer, Naomi.

"Don't answer him!" Jack shouted towards her. Kate ran down the hill to the tree line, obviously looking for any signs of company. She came trotting back, shaking her head.

"Anyone else?" Jack looked out towards the trees.

"Just two sets of footprints," Kate was breathless, "his and hers."

"What do you want?" Jack's voice was strained with bitterness.

"A minute or two of your time," Ben attempted to be polite, "to talk, just you and me."

"For what?"

"Jack," Ben exhaled, "you just killed seven of my people, the least you can do is honor me with a moment of your time."

Murmurs went out over the crowd. Sun and Rose looked anxious. _Had we really done it? _For all they knew, Ben was setting them up.

"Sorry for your losses," Elle stepped to the front, "but we've got reservations elsewhere."

"So if you don't mind," she placed her hands on her hips, "get the hell out of our way."

"_My, my, my_," Ben played with his glasses in amusement, taking them from the bridge of his nose, and giving Elle the twice over.

"You do look awfully pale," Ben tsked, "I do hope everything is alright?"

Jack turned to look at Elle. Ben was right, the color had drained from her face, leaving a blush of disdain on her cheeks, most likely from seeing Ben. However, as he walked over to her, he placed a hand to her cheek, and felt that her skin was a bit clammy. Her breathing was labored and her pulse was a bit quickened. Asking her if she had felt any pain in her lower body, she denied. He would have assumed she had started going into labor, except her water hadn't broken, nor was she having any cramping.

"I'm fine, Jack," she waved his hand off, "this hike's just been a bit too much, that's all."

"You will tell me," Jack tilted his head, "if you do feel anything, anything at all?"

"Yeah," she placed a reassuring hand on his arm, "in fact I am feeling something."

"What is it?" he asked, not expecting her answer.

"I feel like squashing a little bug," she spat towards Ben.

Ben just stood there, facing them, stone-faced. Elle's words didn't move him, didn't entertain him. However, others felt her words, and joined in with feeling. Rushing towards the front, they all stood, side-by-side, tension rising, their blood boiling; soldiers standing guard behind their leader. Jack was touched, but assured them, that he'd be okay.

"Five minutes," he pushed Ben towards the trees, grabbing his walkie.

"What do you think he wants," Claire approached Elle, who had been sitting on the dewy field with Kate.

"Whatever it is," Kate looked towards the area Jack and Ben had entered, "Jack will handle it."

Moments later, Jack dragged a bloody and beaten Ben through the meadow, throwing him to the ground. Ordering Kate to tie him up, he told them that Ben was going with them. Kate looked at Jack, her eyes asking him what had happened, but Jack just shook his head and spat onto the ground. Jack walked off, leaving a few startled spectators in his wake. Alex made her way over to Ben, as did Rousseau. Danielle looked admirably onto the young woman in her presence and Ben made an obvious face, guilt-ridden as it was.

"What?" Elle heard Alex ask.

"Alex," Ben sighed, "this is your mother."

Elle felt sorry for Alex, kidnapped by Ben at an early age, taken away from her mother. She sympathized with her. She watched as a confused, yet happier, Alex moved closer to Rousseau. The older woman smiled and took out some rope. Giving it to Alex, she gestured.

"Here," she took Ben, "I'll help you tie him up."

Elle looked out and saw Kate following Jack, so she too, made her way over, curious as to what had led Jack to beat the bloody snot out of Ben. Not that any reason, big or small, wouldn't have been enough for Ben to be bludgeoned.

"What happened, Jack?" Kate asked an obvious upset Jack.

Tears had stained his dirty cheeks, his chest convulsing as he sobbed. Elle hadn't seen this side of Jack. Automatically her thoughts drifted to those they left behind on the beach.

"Jack," Elle took his bloody hands into hers, "what did he say?"

"It doesn't matter," Jack shuddered, "we need to get moving."

"Jack," Kate sat next to him, watching as Elle tended to his hands.

"He killed them," Jack uttered, "Sayid, Jin, and Bernard. He killed them and I let it happen."

"What do you mean, you _let_ it happen?" Kate was disgusted.

"We have to get moving," Jack was talking in circles, "I told Sayid we'd make it to that tower."

"I had to let it happen," Jack repeated, "I promised Sayid we'd keep moving."

"This is insane!" Elle shouted, "Why didn't you just kill Ben?"

"Why bring him with us?"

Jack stood with a strength that had long been diminished.

"Because I want him to see us get rescued," he smirked, "I want him to experience the moment we get off this island and I want him to know he failed."

Elle and Kate exchanged worried glances as Jack's final words escaped his chapped lips: _And then, I'll kill him._

Elle and the others continued towards the radio tower. According to Rousseau's calculations, they had approximately an hour to go, or less, depending on the speed in their steps. They pushed forward, never giving in to exhaustion or fear. Naomi kept looking at her phone, whispering, maybe even praying, that they light would turn from red to green. Elle stayed close to Jack, for Hurley had wandered off, _probably resting_, Elle thought to herself. She wished he had stayed. _I wish Sawyer had too_, she whispered to herself. Before she knew it, there was a crackling coming through over the walkie-talkie Jack had taken from Ben. The group hindered their steps, catching their breath. A familiar voice, with humor glazing his words, came over the speaker.

"Attention, _Others_. Come in, _Others_."

"That's Hurley!" Elle reached for the walkie, but Jack kept it from her grasp. They all listened intently.

"If you're listening, I want you to know that we got you bastards. And unless the rest of you wanna be blown up, you best stay away from our beach."

"Hurley?" Jack questioned the walkie, pressing the call button.

"Jack?" Hurley echoed.

"Where are you," Jack had a look of confusion on his face, "what's going on?"

"Dude," Hurley gloated, "I'm back at the beach."

"That's where he ran off to?" Elle questioned Jack, who just shrugged his shoulders.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, I went back to save them," Hurley sounded proud, "Juliet and Sawyer…"

"Juliet and Sawyer," Jack prodded as Elle squeezed his arm at the mention of Sawyer's name.

"Yeah, dude, they're okay," Hurley promised, "Jin, Bernard, and Sayid too."

"Wait…" Jack paused, "Jin, Bernard, and Sayid, they're with you?"

"Yeah dude," Hurley bragged, "I told you, I saved them all."

The crowd began to shout and hug one another in celebration and relief. Sun and Rose had tears streaming down their cheeks as they heard their husbands were all right. Elle and Jack hugged and they continued to hug until Elle caught Ben's glare. Ben looked on with distaste, as they seemed to relish in the moment. Jack told Hurley that it'd be better off if they all just stayed at the beach, for safety, while they trekked the rest of the way to the tower.

"Yeah, dude," Hurley responded, "we'll just stay here until you like, phone home."

Claire stepped forward, the only one who didn't appear to be as relieved as the rest of them and asked Jack for the walkie. She asked Hurley if he had heard anything from Charlie and Desmond, or if they had some how made it back to the beach.

"Not yet," Hurley's voice strained to be optimistic, "but I'm sure they are paddling their way here as we speak."

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine."

Elle put an arm around Claire and together they walked towards the radio tower. They walked, in silence, as they made their way onward. Shortly after, Aaron let out a chilling wail. As Claire tried her hardest to soothe him, Elle looked on anxiously. Naomi approached and asked them what spooked him.

"I dunno," Claire's voice shook, "I think he's just a bit scared."

"I don't blame him," Naomi put a hand on Claire's back.

As she began to walk off, a beeping came from her phone. She looked down and stopped in her tracks.

"What is it?" Elle asked, noticing that Naomi had stopped abruptly.

"What's your boyfriend's name," Naomi looked towards Claire, "the rock star that swam down to that station?"

"Charlie," Claire's eyes widened, "why?"

"Charlie just got us rescued!" Naomi ran towards Jack to tell him the good news. Claire hugged Elle, grateful that Charlie had succeeded, hopeful that he had made it safely back.

"Jack, Jack," Naomi cried out, "your friend bloody well did it!"

"Well what are you waiting for," Jack smiled, "use it then."

Naomi punched in what looked like a phone number but Rousseau's transmission came over the speaker. _It's still blocking the signal_, Jack told her. Danielle smiled as she pointed in front of them.

"It doesn't matter," her smile broadened, "we are here."

While Jack and Naomi followed Rousseau into the radio tower, Elle, Claire, and Kate waited outside, taking a moment to relax. Ben smiled at them, never taking his eyes off them. Elle put her hand on a tree to keep herself steady and shot him a disparaging look. _He knows_, she mumbled.

"Who now?" Claire tossled Aaron as she scrunched her nose in wonder.

"Nothin'," Elle shook her head, giving Claire a feigned smile, "just thinkin' out loud."

"Right then," Claire looked to Kate and questioned her with a raise of her eyebrows.

Chapter 28

Naomi came rushing out of the radio tower, holding the phone above her head, trying to get a signal. She paced back and forth, the tension thick amongst the survivors as they watched on anxiously. As quickly as she was pacing, she stopped just as fast, her eyes wide in shock.

"I'm getting something!"

Kate turned to Elle and grabbed her by the forearms, shaking her with anticipation. Elle couldn't do anything but smile back. All the shaking was making her a bit queasy and if she happened to open her mouth, she didn't want to ruin Kate's excitement.

"It's gonna work," she smiled broadly, "it's happening, we're going to get off this island!"

"We'll celebrate when we're home," Jack smiled at a Kate he hadn't seen before.

"Jack!"

Ben's haughty voice shouted over the crowds' enthusiasm, causing them all to stop and linger while Ben ruined their happiness once again.

"I know you think you are saving your people," he continued pleading with Jack, "but you're making a big mistake!"

"The mistake was listening to you." Jack shot back walking towards Naomi and the phone.

"I'm warning you, this is your last chance," Ben gravely shook his head, "making that call is the beginning of the end."

Naomi shouting that she had gotten a signal was all Jack needed to hear. He looked from Kate to Elle and onto the faces of the others as he received a nod of approval to go and make that call. Ben was in the background shouting that Jack was making the biggest mistake of his life, that he hadn't any idea as to what he was doing.

"I know exactly what I'm doing!"

Jack watched on as Naomi pressed the connection on the phone and began violently shaking. Blood spurted from her mouth, her body leant forward, and a knife could be seen protruding from her back. The phone she had in her hands, crashed to the island floor as her lifeless body slouched to its knees, landing with a solemn thud. As Claire watched Naomi innocently die in front of her, she felt a hand reach for her arm, wrenching it tightly. Silenced by nausea, Claire turned quietly toward the person who grasped her arm, and stared in shock as Elle's mouth contorted in agony, ripping the silence that surrounded them with one long, shrilly, moan. As she watched on as Elle's water broke, Claire jumped back from the amniotic fluid. In the midst of all the commotion, Jack looked to a figure standing off on the outskirts of the jungle, and saw a familiar, yet prodigal man.

"John!"

"What did you do?"

"What I had to do, Jack," Locke's words were laced with melodrama.

Elle's screams vibrated through the air, pulling Jack like a rag doll, in both directions. He was face to face with the barrel of a gun and to his rear was a woman in dire need of his medical attention. To his feet lay the phone capable of rescue, beeping, waiting for someone to answer it. His mind was racing. _What do I do?_

"Jack!" Kate screamed, "Forget about him, we need you here!"

Elle, reaching for her stomach, continued to wail in pain, as Claire handed Aaron to Rose so she could tend to her friend. Sun ran over and together, with Kate and Claire, they assisted Elle into a more comfortable position. Bringing some water to Elle's mouth, she spat it back out, her body convulsing as she cried in pain.

"It's t-t-too s-s-soon," her voice shook with fear, tears ran down her face.

"Shh, shh, honey," Kate wiped her brow with a cool cloth, "you're going to be alright."

Elle held her breath, striking a chord with Claire, who did something similar when she was going into labor with her own son. Tapping her face gently, Claire begged her to breathe, begged her to relax.

"Breathe with me," Claire instructed, "you have to do this Elle."

"I know this is scary," Claire gently brushed Elle's sweaty curls off her forehead, "believe me, love, I know."

"But we're right here, Elle," she looked to the other two, "we're not leaving you."

"We have to time her contractions," Sun pointed to Elle.

"O-o-okay," Elle breathed through her nose and out through her mouth, "okay."

Jack struggled with his decision and quickly dove for the phone. Locke was shouting at him, mimicking Ben's words, insisting that Jack was making a viable mistake. As Jack stood, sweating from his mental struggles, Locke threatened to shoot him. Ben cheered on Locke, telling him to do what he felt was necessary. Rousseau silenced Ben with a fast elbow to the face, knocking him unconscious.

"You're done keeping me on this island, Locke," Jack spat as Locke cocked the barrel of the gun.

"I'll kill you if I have to."

"Then do it, John."

"Jack!"

Kate, watched on in horror as one of her friends was going into early labor and their estranged enemy was holding another one she loved, at gunpoint. Locke paused, took a labored breath, and told Jack he wasn't supposed to let this happen. As if Locke unraveled the mysteries of the island, as if he could see into their future, his words hung loosely on the air. The brink of destruction or the beginning to an end, it was all the same. Locke shrunk back into the shadows of the jungle as Jack turned to Kate and watched as they tended to Elle. Rushing over, he threw the phone down, and examined Elle. She was a fraction of herself, her vulnerability dripping off her with sweat. Unbeknownst to Jack, his walkie-talkie, trapped in his pant leg, clicked on, and was transmitting their voices to the others back on the beach.

"Hey, hey," he knelt beside Elle, "how you doing?"

"Never been better," Elle managed to get out before another contraction hit.

Back on the beach, Hurley stood dumbfounded as he stood against the door to the van.

"What the hell is that?" Sawyer asked Hurley who was staring at the walkie-talkie in his hands.

"I dunno, dude," Hurley shrugged, "but whatever it is, it's been coming through like that every two minutes or so."

Voices could be heard, muffled as they were, but one voice came over loud and crisp; Jack. Sawyer grabbed the walkie from Hurley's hands and brought it closer to his ear, to try to get a better listen. _How far along are the contractions? _Muffled voices again came over the airwaves, which caused an impatient Sawyer to shake the walkie-talkie as if that would clear the transmission. _Elle, Elle, stay with us now. _

"Did he just say Elle?" Sawyer shook it fiercely, his eyes looking toward Hurley for confirmation.

"Dude, dude," Hurley coaxed him, "easy with that thing."

"Aw, shut it, Hugo," Sawyer hissed, "I'm tryin' to get a listen."

Sawyer pressed down on the walkie, attempting to send an outgoing message, but his transmission was being blocked by the Jack's walkie. He could only receive transmissions; he could only hear the woman's screams. However, that didn't refrain him from attempting the impossible. Spit flew from his mouth as he shouted into the walkie.

"Doc, Doc," Sawyer shouted into the walkie, "what the hell's goin' on ova' there?"

Elle's screams escaped the metal box, causing Sawyer to drop it to the sand.

"Damn it," Sawyer ran a hand through his hair, "I'd know that scream anywhere."

"Dude, where are you going?" Hurley shouted towards Sawyer as he walked towards the jungle.

"I got some place to be," Sawyer shouted back.

"It'll take hours for you to reach that tower," Sayid reached for Sawyer's arm, only for it to be jerked back.

"You don't even know where it is."

"You offerin'?" Sawyer hissed.

Back at the radio tower, Elle's contractions were coming in faster and more painful, with each timed breath she took with Claire by her side. A constant beeping could be heard from the phone that Jack dropped, but it lay idle as he tended to Elle. He instructed that he needed to examine her, to see how far she had dilated, when Elle looked him directly in the face and mouthed,

"Like hell."

Chuckling, Jack licked his bottom lip, and retaliated.

"Now isn't the time to be shy," he inched closer, but Elle was obstinate.

"I want her to do it," she nodded towards Sun.

"It's okay, Jack," Sun took the helm, "just tell me what I have to look for."

"If her contractions are accurate," Jack looked a bit pale, "she should be six to eight centimeters."

While the women tended to Elle, covering her with a blanket someone had packed in their backpack, Sun examined Elle, and listened to Jack's instructions. Doing her best to judge the dilation of her cervix, Sun concluded that Elle was nearing the next stage of labor.

Back on the beach, Hurley ran after Sawyer, tripped over his shoelaces, causing a tidal wave of sand to hit their legs. Brushing himself off, he apologized, and handed Sawyer the walkie-talkie.

"Thought you may need this," he shrugged, "I heard something about centimeters."

"What the…," Sawyer began to harass Hurley, when Sayid stopped him.

"If Hurley here heard Jack mention _centimeters_, then he must be talking about how far along Elizabeth's cervix has dilated."

"And how the hell would he know about that?" Sawyer gritted his teeth.

"Well, seriously, dude," Hurley shrugged his shoulders, "how else?"

"Aww hell no," Sawyer, pressed down on the walkie, "Doc, don't you even think about it."

"Sawyer," Sayid put a hand on his shoulder, "he knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

As Sawyer, Sayid, and Hurley, stood around the walkie in Sawyer's open hand, they listened for Jack's voice, but what they heard, sent Sawyer running off into the jungle. Sayid ran after a very determined, yet hardheaded man.

Elle was having another contraction, this time, it lasted over a minute, and her screams brought tears to Claire's eyes as she tried her hardest to remain strong for her friend. Kate took Jack aside and asked him if there was anything they could do for her, to ease her pain. Jack looked from Kate to the phone that was on the ground and whispered,

"That's our only chance," he pointed to the phone.

Kate ran to the phone and handed it to Jack.

"Make the call," she pushed him, "she needs this more than we do."

Jack pressed the call button and a man's voice answered.

"Minkowski." The man took a breath, "Hello?"

"Who is this?" Jack put the phone to his ear.

"Who is _this_?" Minkowski echoed, questioning Jack's motives.

"My name is Jack Sheppard," he hurried, "Are you on the boat, the freighter?"

"How'd you get this channel?" the man asked.

"Naomi, she told us about your search team."

"Naomi," the man named Minkowski asked startled, "you found her?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm one of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815."

Elle began to have another contraction, this one, coming in faster than the last. She did everything she could do to stifle it, but the pain was unbearable. The man could hear her over the phone.

"What's going on over there?"

"We have a woman in labor," Jack responded, "can you get a fix on our location?"

"Hell yeah we can," the man sounded almost too optimistic, "sit tight, we'll be right there."

Jack and Kate shared a moment as they stood there listening to the shouts of relief coming from everyone that had trekked to the radio tower. Jack took Kate's hand and together they walked over to where Elle was. They squatted down at her side, telling her of their approaching rescue, as Kate wiped her brow, and Jack checked her pulse. Elle bit her lip as her last contraction subsided and licked the droplet of blood that broke from her skin.

"Promise me," Elle looked at Jack, "promise."

"What, Elle," Jack leant in closer to hear her, "promise you what?"

"Promise me that _they_ never lay a hand on him," she grabbed her stomach.

"You don't have to worry about that," Jack attempted to assuage her.

"Say it, Jack," she gritted her teeth.

"I promise," he took her hand, "I won't let _Them _anywhere near your baby."

"Jack," Elle suddenly looked frightened, "I don't feel so…"

What she felt, they would never know, for Elle's voice faded out a as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. At Elle's feet, Sun looked to Jack with horror in her eyes, as she removed her hands from under the blanket. Lifting them almost offering them to Jack, Sun's fragile hands were spotted with Elle's blood.


End file.
